Hungarian child protection’s controversial decision on who can raise murdered Japanese mother Megumi’s children

David A. was born in the United States and took on Irish citizenship through his mother. On 29 January, he ended the life of his former wife, the Japanese mother of two, Megumi A., in her downtown Budapest apartment. After this dreadful act, their two children were left practically orphaned, but now, according to information from Blikk, the Hungarian child protection authorities have decided who will raise them.

A nightmare in the heart of Budapest

Many found it surprising that the Hungarian guardianship authorities entrusted the care of the orphaned siblings to the brother of their killer. The father is likely to be imprisoned for a long time as the police firmly believe he murdered Megumi at their home in Budapest’s 5th district, where they had been married for nearly ten years.

The incident occurred on 29 January and caused immense outrage in Hungary because the police initially believed the perpetrator’s story that he had come home to find his ex-wife’s flat on fire. The man showed no hesitation in claiming he was even injured while trying to save his former wife.

The Irish-American father and the two kids in front of the Roman Catholic basilica in Esztergom:

No one believed the Japanese mother

Friends of the Japanese mother in Budapest pointed out that she did not smoke, especially not in bed, making it unlikely that she would have set fire to her own flat. The investigation revealed that the ex-husband returned to the flat fully covered up after taking their daughter swimming, killed his ex-wife, and then attempted to set the flat alight.

The police released video footage that can be viewed below:

The case attracted national attention in January and February, after it became clear that the woman had repeatedly reported to the police in the 5th district that she feared her husband, making several complaints that were ignored. Adding to the controversy, the police chief’s Facebook page administrator at the time, who has since been removed, responded cynically to comments pointing out that the woman did not smoke at all, making the claim that she set herself on fire unbelievable.

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The guardianship authority made a decision: the uncle will raise the children

Neighbours described David A. as a caring father who, after the divorce, moved to the Netherlands but maintained relatively frequent contact with his children, often visiting them. He always stayed at the woman’s flat during these visits. Later investigations showed that he kept a firearm in the flat, took his children to shooting ranges where they were given guns, and consistently threatened not only his ex-wife but also his own father and his father’s partner.

Following the horrific murder, Megumi’s children were placed with one of her friends, as both the maternal grandparents living in Japan and the killer’s family wanted to take custody. According to Blikk, the Hungarian child protection authority granted custody to an uncle living in the United States for the 10-year-old boy and 6-year-old girl, with the Japanese grandparents’ consent. Although there had been a previous order for the children to live with their grandparents, it turned out they did not have passports or visas, so they could not secure the necessary documents.

A memorial now stands outside Megumi’s former apartment at 22 Stollár Béla Street. Mysteriously, the flowers left there are often taken, but the community’s devotion shines through as they keep restoring this small tribute to their “beloved mother and cherished friend.”

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