Péter Magyar, opposition leader and representative of the Tisza party, publicly identified a number of state centers in Hungary where, according to their complaints, minors in state care experience a high level of invisibility and lack of protection. This accusation, made at a mass rally in Budapest, came shortly after the circulation of images showing physical attacks and humiliation by the head of a youth center on Szolo Street, sparking massive protests and reinvigorating debate over the national child protection system. According to Nepszava, the release of the video sparked a wave of national outrage and mobilized thousands of people both in the capital and other cities across the country.
As Nepszava explained, the protests led to concrete demands: the complete review of current regulations on child protection, the implementation of independent audits and the development of effective guarantee mechanisms for the security of state guardianship of young people were among the central demands of citizens at the demonstrations. According to Nepszava, the Hungarian government responded immediately by intervening in the specified center and arresting the director responsible for the incidents. However, the demonstrations did not end there; Protesters also called for the resignation of senior officials responsible for running facilities for minors and the adoption of structural reforms aimed at maximizing the protection and well-being of inmates.
According to the media, the case of the youth center on Szolo Street highlighted a problem that participants in the protests see as widespread in other state facilities, including centers in Bicske, Rákospalota, Szolnok and Tiszadob. Péter Magyar expanded the denunciation during the mobilizations, and the slogans addressed to Viktor Orbán’s government underlined the demand for accountability and deep reforms in the state guardianship system.
Nepszava’s publication highlighted that the priority objectives of the protests included effectively preventing new situations of abuse, introducing stricter internal and external monitoring measures, and strengthening the legal framework for child protection. Popular petitions have highlighted the need to redefine both the intervention protocols against possible abuses and the structure of public policy with a focus on institutionalized children and adolescents.
Opposition parties accused the government of downplaying the seriousness of the problem and inadequately responding to the crisis triggered by the Szolo Center images. According to Nepszava, official spokesman Gergely Gulyas initially pointed out that the facility in question functioned as a detention center for young people involved in crimes, without clearly distinguishing between minors and young adults. This approach was interpreted in broad social circles as a justification aimed at relativizing the state’s responsibility in protecting prisoners.
However, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán changed the official speech in the face of public pressure, saying: “There is no room for discussion here. Not even a young criminal can be treated the way this prison guard treated the prisoner. This is unacceptable, there is no history.” This statement released by Nepszava marked a turning point in the government’s position and increased public demand for new guidelines and stronger controls in state youth facilities.
Péter Magyar’s profile grew after the scandal, and the opposition leader included defending the rights of sheltered minors in his election manifesto. Magyar emphasized the need to advance robust monitoring mechanisms and strict standards that ensure the integrity and well-being of minors in state care, as Nepszava systematizes in her reporting.
Following the protests, representatives of various political forces and civil society organizations presented initiatives to review and modify the legal and operational tools regulating centers for minors. According to Nepszava, these suggestions include designing external audits, strengthening the physical and psychological protection of inmates, and establishing effective protocols against potential abuses.
The pressure exerted by social mobilizations had a direct impact on the political agenda: both parties and the executive anchored reform of the child protection system as a legislative priority. Among the demands highlighted by citizens, the commitment to greater transparency, the need for independent control bodies and the consolidation of accountability principles within institutional frameworks stood out.
Nepszava documented that the collective mobilization and media attention to the Szolo case led to increased parliamentary and public opinion control regarding state youth centers. The public discussion highlighted the urgency of renewing the regulatory and administrative framework for the guardianship of minors and establishing transparency and external monitoring as essential pillars of the new paradigm sought by civil society.
According to media reports, the situation of youth centers in Hungary is currently being constantly evaluated, with numerous political and social actors repeatedly calling for the defense of children’s rights to be guaranteed, for victims of abuse to be met with justice and for the identified institutional deficiencies to be remedied in the long term. The current national debate that has arisen around the abuses at Szolo Street and other state centers maintains the attention of both the legislature and citizens and has led to calls for transparent practices and the ultimate elimination of abusive practices within the state system of child protection.
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