Hand grenade detonates in government official's hands in Újdörögd – investigation could be reopened
A young government official lost both arms in a military training exercise. The prosecution closed the case, but the injured party appealed, so the chief prosecution office is now examining the matter.
Hand grenade detonates in government official's hands in Újdörögd – investigation could be reopened
A serious accident occurred in March of last year during a tactical training exercise in an area near Újdörögd. The 29-year-old state employee, who had volunteered for a programme called "Adaptive Defence," was holding an explosive device in her hands when it suddenly detonated. As a result of the blast, the woman lost both limbs above the elbow and sustained permanent injuries to her face. An instructor who was nearby also suffered serious trauma.
After several months of investigation, the Győr Regional Investigation Prosecutor's Office closed the case in early June. On the basis of expert opinions, they ruled out that manufacturing defect or a malfunctioning device had caused the tragedy. During the investigation, several violations related to the organisation were identified, but the prosecutors determined that these had not directly led to the explosion. Accordingly, they were unable to establish criminal liability, but they informed the leadership of the Hungarian Defence Staff of the irregularities discovered.
The most seriously injured victim and her legal representative disagreed with the closure and filed an appeal with the supervisory authority. The complaint was forwarded to the Central Investigation Chief Prosecutor's Office, which has thirty days to make a decision – this was reported by Telex citing information from the chief prosecutor's office.
Following the publication of press reports, Minister Ruszin-Szendi Romulusz ordered an internal investigation. In his statement, he emphasised that after such a serious case, it cannot be claimed that nobody is at fault. He stated that if systemic problems are found, they will be remedied, and if managerial negligence is established, there will be consequences. The results of the investigation will be made public.
After the accident, the cabinet attempted to compensate the injured official for the damages he suffered through a special government order and the introduction of a new entitlement called "governmental administrative heroic benefit."
Source: Telex