Szőlő Street juvenile detention centre scandal continues: shocking videos reveal abuse of minors
The controversy surrounding the Szőlő Street Juvenile Detention Centre is escalating. Péter Juhász, a former politician from the Együtt party and now a political activist, has recently shared a disturbing video showing the acting director of the centre, Károly Kovács-Buna, violently attacking a detainee. Juhász insists that this behaviour is unacceptable, even if the detainee had caused damage beforehand. He has promised to release further footage, while the prosecution service, police, and child protection authorities have been conducting raids since early this morning.
Scandal deepens at Szőlő Street juvenile centre
At dawn today, a major joint operation by the police and the prosecution service took place at Budapest’s Szőlő Street Juvenile Detention Centre, accompanied by child protection experts. Yesterday, Péter Juhász released several videos showing the acting director physically assaulting a detainee either before or after—this remains unclear—the detainee caused serious damage inside the building, including ripping a door from its frame and throwing it to the floor.
According to another video, Kovács-Buna kicked a different inmate in the stomach while the boy was doing press-ups, causing him to collapse and writhe on the floor in pain.
The footage is available here, with the key moments at 11:16, 12:39, and 14:31:
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It remains unclear whether the police and prosecution raids are connected to the release of the videos. Juhász claims that the footage, which he made public on Sunday, had been in the possession of law enforcement agencies for six months without any action being taken. The acting director resigned yesterday afternoon.
The police and prosecution service have not provided details regarding today’s raids, but confirmed that investigations are ongoing at the site and that three people have been taken into custody, according to Blikk.
New footage released today
Péter Juhász released new footage this afternoon showing the recently resigned acting headmaster striking a pupil’s head against a desk during a lesson, before dragging him across the room and kicking him. The disturbing scenes were captured on two separate cameras. Juhász also shared the full-length video of the previously reported door-throwing incident, complete with the lead-up. These harrowing clips follow, although it remains unknown what was said between the parties before the violent assault:
Multiple charges against former director
Several investigations have been launched against Péter Pál Juhász, the former director of the Szőlő Street centre. He remains in pre-trial detention with his partner and a former employee until at least 28 February. The employee, who is currently under house arrest, allegedly attempted to destroy evidence.
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The investigations include accusations that Juhász and his partner:
- Took vulnerable minor girls under their wing and later forced them into prostitution as adults
- May have caused a financial loss of 56.5 million forints to the institution
- Are suspected of embezzlement, forgery, human trafficking, and forced labour
Although the government initially claimed that no minors were involved in this scandal, it has since emerged that boys in the detention centre were regularly molested, threatened, and abused by those responsible for their care. According to testimonies, abuse and harassment were commonplace within the institution’s walls; multiple witnesses allege that the former director forced boys into oral sex and intercourse.
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