Budapest children's home director harassed girls at Lake Balaton camp
A 53-year-old Budapest children's welfare facility director has come under police investigation on suspicion of sexual abuse following complaints from four girls.
Police investigation launched against children's home director accused of touching girls
Police have initiated proceedings against a 53-year-old Budapest children's welfare facility director on suspicion of sexual abuse, according to information obtained by wmn.hu based on Telex reports. Four girls in the care of the institution allege that the man touched, embraced and groped their buttocks and seated them on his lap during a camp at Lake Balaton.
According to Telex, on one evening during the July camp, the home director took four girls from the institution's group out while other carers were putting the younger children to bed. During the outing, the man became drunk and then began initiating increasingly close physical contact with the children. Among the affected girls were three under the age of 14 and one adult in after-care. After returning home, they reported what had happened to them at the camp.
The Social and Child Protection Directorate issued a statement in connection with the matter. "Based on the children's accounts, the possibility of sexual abuse arose, so the institution immediately took the necessary steps: filed a police report, informed the children's guardians in child protection, the children's rights representative, and immediately took the necessary employment law measures and terminated the employment relationship of the employee in question with immediate effect and extraordinary dismissal," the directorate's response stated.
The man had worked in child protection for more than twenty years, and according to Telex, no complaints about his work had previously been received. When informed of the reason for his immediate dismissal, he said he did not think the girls would misunderstand the situation. The publication was unable to reach the man by the time the article was published.
Police have initiated proceedings on suspicion of sexual abuse, but no suspects have been questioned as such so far. The facility leadership has also ordered an internal investigation: its purpose is to establish whether the other carers noticed any suspicious behaviour during the week-long camp, and whether the home director had previously taken girls out separately in the evenings.
The affected children are currently being provided with ongoing psychological support by the institution to help them process what happened.
Source: Google News HU — Crime (hu)