Ombudsman turns to chief prosecutor over kindergarten abuse in Budapest

Ombudsman László Székely has filed a report with the chief prosecutor’s office concerning a case in which a child was exposed to “humiliation and mental torture” by kindergarten teachers, the ombudsman’s office said on Thursday.

According to the ombudsman’s findings, the teachers regularly shouted at the child and called the child “stupid”.

The report quoted a psychologist as establishing that the child defecated as a consequence and eventually stopped communicating with kindergarten staff. The parents turned to the head of the kindergarten and to the municipality but did not receive a timely response.

The child protection authority then started proceedings to remove the child from the family.

The parents filed a criminal report but the prosecutor’s office dropped the case “in absence of criminal activities”, the ombudsman’s report said.

In his report, the ombudsman said that abusing children in kindergarten or school was a serious matter and “practices tolerating such behaviours or boycotting investigation must be changed from their foundations.”