Jobbik Leader Jakab Denies Cover-up Attempt of Party’s Alleged Sexual Assault Scandal

It broke headlines on Thursday that a Jobbik politician allegedly lured the 24-year-old partner of Jobbik deputy chairman György Szilágyi into a room, then tried to force her to have sexual intercourse with him. Now, Jobbik president Péter Jakab denies that they wanted to cover-up the incident and criticized Szilágyi and her partner for not going to the police immediately.

After the case hit the news last Thursday, Jobbik at first denied the allegations; soon however, Szilágyi also confirmed that the sexual assault attempt is true, although he was not present.

Pro-Fidesz tabloid Bors (which was first to publish the story) also alleged that Jakab and Jobbik’s leadership attempted to cover up the story, which Jakab denied.

What is certain is that the victim later filed a complaint with the Jobbik Ethics Commission demanding an investigation into the case and punishment of the perpetrator, and later filed a formal complaint with the police as well and an investigation into the case has already been launched.

Meanwhile, Mi Hazánk’s István Apáti, in an Instagram post, suggested that Kocsord’s (a village in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county, some 10 kilometers away from Ököritófülpös where the party event was held) former mayor István Földi (who ran in the same constituency as Apáti, but where ruling Fidesz’s Sándor Kovács made a clear victory) might be somehow involved in the case.

Anyhow, several outlets have since reached the man who consistently is denying the allegations about the sexual assault attempt and threatened with legal proceeding for defamation.

Jakab: Szilágyi and her partner should have gone to the police immediately

It was on Monday evening when Jakab, Jobbik’s president spoke for the first time about the incident, claiming:

• As soon as Szilágyi’s partner went to the Ethics Commission, an internal investigation was launched, and added that he also “learned the details from the committee.”
• He also confirmed that he was present at the event and met with no complaints whatsoever.
• Jakab went on to ask Szilágyi that if the incident happened as described, “how is it possible that you did not run to the investigative authority that day,” criticizing Szilágyi and her partner.
• Instead, they waited five months and even afterwards they did not go to police, but turned to the ethics committee, which is not an investigative authority.
• “We are now at a point where there is an allegation and there is a denial. We can take action after the investigation,” Jakab concluded.
• He also strongly denied that there had been any attempt to cover up the case and said that he didn’t learn about the case from Szilágyi, who had earlier claimed that he had reported the matter to the party leadership, but no action had been taken.

featured image: Péter Jakab (standing), behind him is György Szilágyi; via Tibor Illyés/MTI