A police officer in Gyöngyös, Hungary, has received a suspended prison sentence after admitting that he and a colleague beat a defenceless man, breaking his jaw, nose and facial bones. The second officer denies the charges and will face further proceedings in January.

Officer admits to assault in court

A police officer from Gyöngyös has been sentenced to one and a half years in prison, suspended for three years, after admitting that he and another officer assaulted a defenceless man in January 2024.

The officer was convicted at a preparatory hearing before the Military Council of the Budapest-Capital Regional Court. He admitted all the charges against him, allowing the court to issue a final verdict. He was also demoted.

The second officer accused of taking part in the assault continues to deny the charges, meaning his trial will continue in January. The victim is represented by the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, which said the case involved an especially serious abuse of power.

If you missed it: Former school guard jailed in Hungary for sexually abusing two vulnerable minors

Police officers allegedly took man to outskirts of Gyöngyös

According to the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, the victim, identified as “András”, is a homeless man living in the Duránda area of Gyöngyös. In January 2024, he was warming himself in the entrance of a bank when the two officers approached him for an identity check. His documents were in order, and no proceedings were launched against him.

The officers then offered to drive him home in their patrol car. Instead, they took him to the outskirts of the town and stopped near a forest.

One of the officers restrained the man while the other punched him in the face. The officer who had initially restrained him then also hit and kicked him in the thigh. The officers pushed him to the ground and allegedly threatened to call a hunter to have wild boars eat him.

The assault continued for several minutes and only stopped when another vehicle approached on the road. The man then managed to escape and return home.

Victim suffered multiple fractures

His mother saw his injuries and called an ambulance. At the hospital, doctors diagnosed him with fractures to his jaw, nose and facial bones, as well as concussion. A criminal investigation was subsequently launched. The two officers initially denied the allegations during the investigation.

However, one of them later admitted the charges in court. He reportedly said that the day of the hearing was also his final day as a police officer. The second defendant continues to maintain his innocence, with his case scheduled to continue in January.

Ivóna Bieber, a lawyer for the Hungarian Helsinki Committee representing the victim, said that around 90% of complaints concerning assaults allegedly committed by police officers do not even result in charges being brought. She nevertheless praised the prosecutors’ work in this case and said the court had delivered a fair judgment, taking into account the officer’s full confession and remorse.

Never miss a headline: join Daily News Hungary’s official Telegram channel!

Featured image: illustration, police.hu