At least 50,000 people marched in Budapest calling for Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s resignation after new CCTV footage and allegations revealed abuse at state‑run juvenile facilities. The protest, organised by opposition leader Peter Magyar, followed publication of a previously unreleased 2021 report finding that more than 20% of children in state care had been abused. Multiple staff have been arrested and the government says facilities are now under police supervision as political fallout grows ahead of spring elections.
Tens of Thousands in Budapest Demand Orban's Resignation Over Child‑Abuse Scandals
The allegations of widespread abuse in child care institutions have shaken the government (Ferenc ISZA)(Ferenc ISZA/AFP/AFP)
On Saturday in Budapest, at least 50,000 people marched to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán amid fresh allegations of child abuse in state‑run institutions and longstanding concerns about the government’s response.
Protest and Political Context
The rally was organised by opposition leader Peter Magyar, whose TISZA party is topping opinion polls ahead of parliamentary elections in the spring. Protesters carried soft toys and banners reading "Let’s Protect Children", and many voiced anger not only at the abuses themselves but at what they see as official failures to prevent and transparently address them.
"Normally a government would be toppled after a case like this," 16‑year‑old David Kozak told AFP. "For them the problem is not that the abuses happened, but that they were revealed."
Allegations and Arrests
The latest scandal centres on CCTV footage from the Szolo Street juvenile detention centre showing the then‑director kicking a boy in the head. Four staff members were detained earlier this week; three other employees had been arrested previously, including a former director accused of running a prostitution ring.
In response, the government has placed juvenile facilities under police supervision and said it is taking action against suspected offenders. Prime Minister Orbán condemned the incident, saying even "young criminals should not be treated this way." The interior ministry added that a 2021 official report documenting abuse in state care was passed to relevant authorities in 2022 "to assist their work."
Broader Fallout
On Friday, Magyar published a previously unreleased 2021 report that found more than one in five children in state‑run care had been abused. The disclosures and subsequent arrests have shaken the ruling circle: last year President Katalin Novak resigned after controversy over a pardon linked to a child‑abuse case, and critics say these scandals have eroded public trust in Orbán’s government and boosted Magyar’s profile as a political rival.
"We should be outraged at what is being done with the most vulnerable children," said Zsuzsa Szalay, a 73‑year‑old pensioner who joined the protest. Observers say the demonstrations combine public outrage over human rights and child protection with growing political mobilisation ahead of the elections.
Reporting credits: AFP. (ros/sr/gv)
