The Debrecen District Prosecutor’s Office has proposed a two-year prison sentence suspended for three years for a man accused of abusing detained juveniles at the Debrecen reform institution, the press service of the Hajdú-Bihar County Chief Prosecutor’s Office told MTI.
According to the statement, the defendant was employed at the Debrecen reform institution at the time of the offenses and served as a group leader educator in the section for detainees.
On June 13, 2024, on the first floor of the institution, the man forcefully slapped an inmate on the back with his open palm because the minor had entered and passed through staff-only areas without permission.
Later the same day, he lined up youths placed in the intake group for bathing. When one detainee asked him a question, he struck the youth on the neck with his palm. The following day, the defendant ordered the youths to fold clothes, and during the inspection he assaulted two minor victims by punching them in the ribs. The victims did not suffer injuries, the prosecution said.
Under current legislation, an educator working in a reform institution is considered a public official performing a public duty. Following the discovery of the offenses, the man’s public employment at the Debrecen reform institution was terminated with immediate effect on June 24, 2024.
The Debrecen District Prosecutor’s Office has filed charges against the defendant for four counts of assault committed by a person performing a public duty in the course of their duties, one of which was carried out as a continued offense.
In the indictment, the prosecution stated that if the defendant admits the crimes and waives his right to a trial, the district court should sentence him during the preparatory hearing to two years in prison, suspended for three years, and ban him for three years from any profession involving the education, supervision, care, or medical treatment of minors.
