Christian Child Physically Attacked by Classmates After Revealing Faith in Kars
An 8-year-old child from a Christian family in Kars was physically assaulted by classmates after disclosing their religious identity. The case highlights both anti-Christian bullying and the pressure felt by the family, who later withdrew their complaint.
The incident occurred in Kars in 2025, when the 8-year-old child of a Christian family was speaking with neighbourhood friends about religion and told them that they were Christian. The discussion reportedly continued at school, where the child became increasingly uncomfortable and tried to distance themselves from the group.
According to the family, a group of four children, including pupils from an older class, then physically attacked the child while shouting “Allah exists.” During the assault, the child was also mocked with anti-Christian taunts, including references to eating pork.
The physical assault, combined with explicit references to the child’s Christian faith, indicates a clear religious bias element.
The family initially filed a complaint through the government’s CİMER system and requested a review of whether religious instruction at the school had gone beyond the official curriculum. However, they later withdrew their complaint, stating that they did not want school staff or the families of the children involved to suffer consequences.
Source: Human Rights Violation Report, Association of Protestant Churches, 25.03.2026