Opposition DK criticises Hungary’s new paedophilia law

Hungary’s recent law against paedophile offenders was “designed as propaganda” and it “severely impacts minorities”, the opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) said on Wednesday, adding that the party would tender a “real anti-paedophile” draft which would also focus on paedophile crimes within church organisations.

DK deputy group leader Ágnes Vadai told a press conference in front of Saint Stephen Basilica that several sexual crimes against children committed by members of the clergy had come to light in recent years, but the cases “never came before a court” while perpetrators had “stayed within the clergy”.

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“Most of them are even allowed to work with children,” she added.

According to DK, child molesters should be banned from working with minors for life, and “clerics must not be an exception”.

Referring to legal stipulations that sexual crimes committed against children must be reported, Vadai suggested that that obligation should overwrite the seal of confession, too.

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Under the DK draft, the Hungarian Catholic Church could be obliged to conduct a thorough investigation into cases of sexual abuse of children and publish their findings, she said.

Vadai said that the Catholic Church “should not think that all this is against them”, and suggested consultations with them to compile a draft “contributing to the cleansing of the Hungarian Catholic Church”.

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Source: MTI