On January 22, 2024, the Debrecen Court handed down a verdict in a preliminary session in the case of the juvenile defendant who escaped from the county police headquarters after being taken into custody.
The accused made a confession at the preparatory session, admitted to the crime charged against him, and waived his right to a trial.
The first-instance court accepted the confession and declared the defendant guilty of the crime of escape. Therefore, by the prosecutor’s moderate motion, he was sentenced to 8 months in a juvenile detention center, and suspended for 2 years of probation. During the probationary period, the accused is under probation supervision.
According to the facts of the judgment, the Hajdú-Bihar County Police Headquarters ordered the production of the 17-year-old accused of the crime of attempted classified murder. On March 9, 2023, around 9:00 a.m., the patrol officers brought the juvenile to the headquarters and handed him over to the investigators, who interrogated the accused as a suspect and ordered his detention at 10:40 a.m., which the young man was informed about.
Before being transferred to the detention center, the accused asked the investigative authority to consult once more with his assigned defense counsel and his legal representative, the case manager. The investigators allowed the juvenile to have a meeting, but the accused used this opportunity to escape from the custody of the authorities. The juvenile ran out of the building, and after walking 3-400 meters, hid behind a parked car. As soon as the police learned about the escape, they immediately pursued the accused, who was found after a few minutes of searching, arrested and tried to return to the building. The accused did not resist during his arrest.
Judge Dr. Emri Kinga did not reveal any aggravating circumstances during the justification of the verdict, but at the same time he considered as mitigating circumstances the fact that the juvenile confessed, showed remorse and that there was a positive change in his behavior in the correctional institution, he is even continuing his studies.
The judgment is not final. The prosecutor’s office, the accused and his defense took note of this, but the legal representative of the juvenile boy did not appear at the preparatory meeting despite the summons, so the court is still waiting for his statement. You have the opportunity to appeal within eight days of delivery.
(Debrecen Court)
