A massive crowd poured into the streets of Budapest as tens of thousands of Hungarians called for Prime Minister Viktor Orban to step down, accusing his government of failing to act decisively on repeated child abuse scandals.
Since returning to office in 2010, Orban has repeatedly pledged to put children’s safety first. However, a series of disturbing abuse cases in recent years has shaken public trust and sparked growing anger.
Saturday’s protest was led by Peter Magyar, head of the opposition TISZA party, and followed fresh allegations involving a juvenile detention centre in Budapest that emerged in September.
Security camera footage from the Szolo Street facility showed its director kicking a young boy in the head, igniting nationwide outrage.
Earlier in the week, authorities detained four staff members linked to the case, while the government announced that all child care institutions would now be placed under direct police supervision.
Despite freezing temperatures, thousands of demonstrators marched through the capital holding banners reading “Protect the children!” Some carried soft toys and lit torches to honour victims of abuse, including those affected in cases dating back several years.
On Friday, Magyar also made public a previously unseen 2021 official report which revealed that more than 20 percent of children in state-run care facilities had suffered abuse.
“We should be furious about what is being done to the most vulnerable children in our society,” said Zsuzsa Szalay, a 73-year-old pensioner who joined the protest, speaking to AFP.
Orban’s government has insisted it is taking action against child abuse. The prime minister, who faces what may be the toughest challenge of his 15-year rule ahead of elections expected in April, has publicly condemned the abuses, calling them criminal and unacceptable.
Many protesters, however, said his response fell far short.“In a normal country, a government would fall after something like this,” said 16-year-old protester David Kozak.
Public anger over the issue is not new. Last year, President Katalin Novak resigned after pardoning a former official convicted of covering up sexual abuse at a state-run children’s home.
“For them, the real problem isn’t the abuse itself,” Kozak added. “It’s that people found out.”
