A liberal commentator contends that Fidesz wants to use child protection as a political tool to boost its popularity before the 2022 election. A conservative columnist accuses the Left of trying to decriminalize pedophilia.Continue reading
Harsher sentencing and a criminal registry have been proposed with the anti-pedophilia bill put forth in the National Assembly by Máté Kocsis, leader of the governing Fidesz party group, on Tuesday. As Kocsis put it, this new ruling, which did not face any significant backlash, makes the crime of pedophilia much more severely punishable in Hungary.
Máté Kocsis brought up that while Hungary’s new legal code has minimized sexual crimes significantly, acts of pedophilia have grown slightly. This is why the government is creating a registry to have all pedophiles and their details on record.
The registry will be accessible on the government’s database (ugyfelkapu.magyarorszag.hu), and will show the names, pictures, locations, and crimes of registered pedophiles.
Harsher sentences will also be given to convicted criminals if the victim is under the age of 12, if the perpetrator is an official, if force was used, and if the perpetrator is a repeat offender.
There will also no easing of sentences for perpetrators. Mild sentences will not be available, perpetrators will no longer be allowed on conditional leave, and the crime cannot be erased from one’s record.
While they were previously banned from working in healthcare and education, convicted pedophiles will now also be barred from occupations involving sports, entertainment, and leisurely activities which may put them near children. These include, for example, parks, beaches, zoos, sports teams and sports venues.
Kocsis said the main goal is to not allow pedophiles to hide, and to make sure that they receive the harshest punishments.
In the interest of protecting kids we can only take an effective stand if the government, the authorities, employers, and society work together. The protection of children is an area where there is perhaps the least likelihood of an argument breaking out, and is a mutual responsibility not only for the state or for parents, but for all of us.”
Opposition politicians accused Fidesz of punishing pedophiles from the opposition’s ranks while exempting their own representatives, but otherwise there was consensus on the bill proposal from all sides.
Balázs Ander, representing the right-wing Jobbik party, voiced his support for the anti-pedophilia bill and suggested the legislation of chemical castration for such individuals as well.
Lőrinc Nacsa of the Fidesz ally Christian Democratic People’s Party said that the anonymity of convicted pedophiles must come to an end, as should their often laughable punishments, the most common one being suspended imprisonment.
In the featured photo, Máté Kocsis, leader of the Fidesz party group in the National Assembly, speaks up on the proposed harsher sentencing of pedophiles, as well as the protection of children in the legislative amendment proposal on June 1, 2021. Featured photo by Noémi Bruzák/MTI
