Japanese woman’s death in Budapest: Police apologise for insensitive handling of domestic violence case

The Hungarian Police have issued a formal apology for their inappropriate communication regarding the case of a Japanese woman who died in an apartment fire in Budapest’s 5th district. The incident, which initially was not treated as a homicide, has sparked public outrage due to the police’s handling of the situation and their subsequent communication.

Official apology

Kristóf Gál, the spokesperson for the Hungarian Police, delivered a video statement on the organisation’s YouTube channel, saying:

“Disrespectful, unnecessary, and unworthy communication took place in connection with the case of the woman who died in the 5th district apartment fire. On behalf of the Hungarian Police, I apologise to all those who were understandably and rightfully outraged, scandalised, and offended by this.”

Gál emphasised that this incident should not be used to judge the overall work of the Hungarian police and acknowledged that the unacceptable communication style overshadowed the professional work of investigators, crime scene technicians, and experts involved in the case, 444.hu reports.

Background of the case

The case involves a Japanese woman who died on 29th January in an apartment in Budapest’s 5th district. Initially, the police ruled out foul play. However, the Patent Association later released a statement indicating that they had been in contact with the victim for a year and a half, and she had filed several complaints against her ex-husband, which the police allegedly did not address, Telex writes.

Controversial communication

The Budapest Police Department (BRFK) faced criticism for their extremely insensitive communication on their Facebook page. Some examples include: