Istanbul: In a case that has shed light on the nation's religious sects, the parents and husband of a woman who was allegedly sexually and physically abused as a child and forced into marriage at the age of six were put on trial in Turkey on Monday.

The woman, who is now 24 and goes by the name H.K.G., complained to her parents and the man she was compelled to marry as a child in a religious union in 2020. Members of a foundation connected to the significant Ismailaga religious movement make up the defendants.

Public outrage over the incident, which was reported by Turkey's Birgun newspaper last year, led to calls for closer examination of Islamic sects, which have gained popularity under Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's administration. The Islamic movement in Turkey has roots in Erdogan's ruling party.

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The court ordered that the hearings be held in closed session on Monday and prohibited broadcasts of the trial, according to the T24 news website.

In the event that the husband, Kadir I., is found guilty of sexual abuse and child abuse, he will serve at least 30 years in prison. Father Yusuf Ziya Gumusel and mother Fatma Gumusel could spend at least 18 years in prison for abusing H.K.G. All three of them refute the charges.

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The Hiranur Foundation, which is connected to the Ismailaga sect, was led by Yusuf Ziya Gumusel. When the alleged abuse allegedly started, Kadir I., a prominent member of the foundation, was 29 years old.

Women's and children's rights organisations held protests outside the courthouse to demand action to stop religious sect members' abuse of minors. The Hiranur Foundation's supporters staged a counter-protest, alleging that the organisation had been the target of a defamation campaign.

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The movement led by American-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Turkey accuses of planning a botched takeover attempt against the government in 2016, is the most well-known religious movement in Turkey. Gulen rejects any involvement in the attempted coup.