Public outcry in Hungary following child abuse scandal sparks mass protests

Thousands of individuals in Hungary have taken to the streets to protest a presidential pardon in a child sexual abuse case that has shocked the nation. The demonstrations, held at the historic Heroes' Square in Budapest, aimed to show solidarity with the abuse victims. President Katalin Novak and two high-ranking members of Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ruling party, Fidesz, resigned last week due to the contentious pardon. In addition, a bishop who advised the right-wing PM has also stepped down. The bishop, Zoltan Balog, acknowledged supporting Novak's pardon for the deputy director of a children's home, who had been convicted of covering up sexual abuse. This scandal poses a significant threat to Orban's conservative rule, which began in 2010. A demonstration named "there are monsters out there" was organized on Friday, drawing in large crowds to Heroes' Square. Political parties were intentionally excluded from the event, which mainly consisted of young Hungarians protesting against child abuse and advocating for social solidarity. Orban's government has prioritized family values in its policies, and he is expected to address the nation on his government's next steps in a speech. Novak resigned last week, offering an apology for her "mistake" in granting the pardon. The controversy leading to these resignations arose after Hungarian media disclosed the names of 25 individuals pardoned by Novak in April of last year during Pope Francis' visit to Hungary. Among those pardoned was the deputy director of a children's home near Budapest, who had been sentenced to three years in prison for coercing children to retract accusations of abuse against the home's director. The director, in turn, had received an eight-year jail term for his abuse of children at the government-run facility.