Contrary to the Hungarian government’s claims, the Szőlő Street scandal does involve children

Shocking new details have emerged in the case of the Szőlő Street Reformatory: freshly interviewed witnesses claim that the institution’s former director regularly molested, threatened, and abused the boys placed in his care. The government’s position that children are not involved in the case has thus seemingly lost credibility.

Further details have come to light regarding the Szőlő Street Reformatory case. The investigating authorities recently interviewed several witnesses who gave harrowing testimonies about how the institution’s former head, Péter Pál Juhász, treated them.

Based on the accounts, abuse, molestation, and even sexual coercion were routine within the walls of the reformatory: according to several witnesses, the director forced the boys in his care to perform oral sex and engage in sexual intercourse, as reported by Index.

Molestation, threats, and violence

HVG, citing prosecutor’s office sources, reported on one of the new witnesses, who was 15 years old when he arrived at the Szőlő Street institution. Szeretlek Magyarország later wrote that Klára Dobrev, the chairwoman of the Democratic Coalition (DK) party, shared a video on her Facebook page in which she spoke with the victim.

The politician claimed that she advised the boy to file a police report, and her party provided him with all the necessary support to process the trauma he experienced.

The boy arrived as a person facing multiple disadvantages and a previous victim of sexual abuse. He stated that within the first few days, it became clear to him that his situation would not improve within the Szőlő street institution. He alleges that upon his arrival, Péter Pál Juhász sought to examine his genitals, and only later did he understand that this was not part of any director’s duties.

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The witness also described how the director regularly summoned him for private “chats,” which started with hugs and led to him being forced to perform oral and anal sex in the director’s office. Later, Juhász allegedly raped the young person in a darkened car. Péter Pál Juhász’s domestic partner also reportedly participated in these horrors.

Another witness was allegedly threatened by Juhász not to dare report the molestation to anyone. Despite the boy turning to a supervisor, reports indicate that most of the staff were loyal to the director, and later, two of his peers beat him up in revenge for speaking out.