Hungary’s President Pardoned A Man Who Covered Up Child Sex Abuse At An Orphanage And People Want Justice
The deputy director of an orphanage who was pardoned had originally been sentenced to more than three years for helping to cover up child sex abuse.
Hungary’s president pardoned a man who covered up child sex abuse at an orphanage and people want justice.
In 2019, the director of an orphanage was sentenced to eight years in prison for forcing at least 10 boys in his care to perform sexual acts between 2004 and 2016.
His deputy was also sentenced to more than three years for helping him to cover it up by pressuring victims to retract their testimonies.
In February, an independent local news outlet revealed that Hungarian president Katalin Novák had pardoned the deputy director in April 2023.
The revelation of the cover-up sparked an immediate uproar among the public, with dozens of influencers, including popular artist Azahriah, calling for a protest in Budapest’s iconic Heroes’ Square.
Tens of thousands of people marched to Novák’s office to demand she step down, as well as demanding increased transparency and stronger protections for victims of abuse, according to Reuters.
Faced with ongoing mass protests, Novák announced on Feb. 10 she would resign, saying she had made a mistake.
Novák said she made a mistake “in believing that the convict did not exploit the vulnerability of children whom he had overseen.”
Another key ally of the long-standing conservative Prime Minister Orbán, former Justice Minister Judit Varga, also stepped down from her parliamentary seat due to her support for the pardon.
Varga was anticipated to lead Fidesz in the upcoming European Parliament elections in June.
The resignations of these two prominent female MPs from Hungary’s predominantly male government deal a significant blow to Orbán as his party gears up for the crucial European Union elections.
On Feb. 16, a Calvinist bishop who was a former government minister also resigned from the church, after it was revealed he had asked Novák to issue the pardon R
The scandal is a massive blow to far-right prime minister Viktor Orbán’s government, which has long pushed conservative “traditional family values”.
Orbán has promised to introduce new laws to protect children.
He put forward an amendment to the Hungarian Constitution, which would forbid heads of state from pardoning anyone involved in child sexual abuse cases.
Despite the resignations, thousands of people are continuing to demonstrate against Orbán’s government in some of the biggest protests in Budapest in years
Orbán’s government also announced a new law involving inspections of staff at state orphanages, which house 7,000 children.
He also said that the president and former justice minister accepted full responsibility, and the government considered the matter closed.
