Overview
- Opposition leader Peter Magyar led the protest, accusing the government of failing to protect vulnerable children in state care.
- Newly surfaced CCTV showed the then Szolo Street director kicking a boy, and an activist video prompted the acting director’s resignation.
- Authorities say seven people connected to the Budapest juvenile centre are in custody, as prosecutors probe the former director for prostitution, money laundering and human trafficking.
- The government says action is underway against suspected abuse, and Prime Minister Viktor Orban has publicly condemned the violence as unacceptable.
- Magyar released a 2021 official report finding that over a fifth of children in state institutions suffered abuse, intensifying political pressure before elections expected in April.