The Debrecen Court of Justice delivered a verdict on November 19, 2025, in the case of two defendants who committed serious crimes against their child.
The court found the primary defendant guilty of causing life-threatening bodily harm and endangering a minor, while the second defendant was found guilty of endangering a minor. The man was sentenced to 8 years in prison, banned from holding public office for 8 years, and permanently prohibited from any occupation or activity involving the care, supervision, or medical treatment of persons under 18, or any authority over such persons. The second defendant received a 2-year prison sentence, suspended for 3 years, and was also permanently barred from similar occupations or responsibilities involving minors. The mother retained her parental rights and may potentially take her child back in the future.
According to the verdict, on December 3, 2024, the primary defendant arrived home stressed from work and attempted to bathe his infant son in a plastic tub on a freezer chest. The child cried loudly, and the father repeatedly hit him on the head and shook him violently. After the bath, he placed the still-crying child on the freezer to diaper and dress him, causing the child’s head to hit the freezer. The mother witnessed the abuse and confronted her partner. Despite the child fainting afterward, the father performed compressions, and both parents used wet cloths to revive him. The child was taken to the University of Debrecen Clinical Center’s intensive care unit due to life-threatening condition.
The second defendant witnessed the abuse several times but did nothing or report it to authorities. She also improperly fed the child multiple times prior to December 3, 2024, by propping the infant up or letting him lie on his back during feeding. The parents’ failure to fulfill their caregiving duties endangered the child’s physical and mental development.
Judge Dr. Balláné Dr. Szentpáli Edit noted as an aggravating circumstance that the primary defendant had a prior criminal record for violent crimes against a person and had repeatedly abused his few-week-old child, causing permanent damage. Mitigating factors included partial admission of guilt, remorse, and care for the child until imprisonment. For the second defendant, mitigating factors were her admission of guilt, remorse, continued contact with the child, and intent to reintegrate the child into her care.
The verdict is final for the second defendant, while the primary defendant and the prosecution have filed appeals; the case will continue at the Debrecen Court of Appeal.
