PHOTO/VIDEO Protest with tens of thousands of people in Budapest. Accusations against Viktor Orban's government: “For them, the problem is not that the abuses happened, but that they were revealed”

Tens of thousands of people protested in a demonstration called by the leader of the opposition, on Saturday, in Budapest, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whom they accuse of not acting on allegations of abuse of institutionalized children in Hungary, reports AFP.

Since returning to power in 2010, Hungary's nationalist prime minister has promised to prioritize child protection, but the government has been marred by several child abuse scandals.

Saturday's protest was called by opposition leader Peter Magyar, whose party, TISZA, is leading opinion polls ahead of spring parliamentary elections. The demonstration was organized after new allegations emerged about a juvenile detention center in the Hungarian capital.

“Normally a government would be ousted after a case like this,” 16-year-old David Kozak told AFP.

“For them, the problem is not that the abuses took place, but that they were revealed,” the young man also claimed.

💥Hungary's probably most scenic anti-Orbán protest is underway under the banner “Let's defend our children,” after new details emerged about sexual and physical abuse in the child care system — plus ignorance or cover-ups by authorities. Orbán rival Péter Magyar leads the march. pic.twitter.com/GGRHzDrgBX

— Szabolcs Panyi (@panyiszabolcs) December 13, 2025

Tens of thousands of people at the protest

At least 50,000 protesters took part in the protest, and some of them came with stuffed toys, according to AFP journalists.

Magyar led the crowd, holding a banner that read “Let's protect the children.”

The latest scandal erupted when surveillance footage from a juvenile detention center emerged showing the then warden hitting a boy in the head.

Four staff members were detained earlier this week and the government has placed all such centers under police surveillance.

Three other employees had previously been arrested, including another former director, accused of running a prostitution ring.

“We should be outraged by what is being done to the most vulnerable children,” said Zsuzsa Szalay, a 73-year-old pensioner taking part in the protest.

💪Tens of thousands are marching from downtown Budapest across the Chain Bridge and tunnel up to Buda Castle, where Viktor Orbán's office is. Opposition leader Péter Magyar called the march to protest child abuse by Hungarian authorities—and the government's inaction. 📸@Telexhu pic.twitter.com/14mNAKULuh

— Szabolcs Panyi (@panyiszabolcs) December 13, 2025

Report: Over a fifth of institutionalized children in Hungary have suffered abuse

On Friday, Magyar published an official report from 2021, which had not been released to the public until now, showing that more than a fifth of children in the state's specialized institutions had suffered abuse. The government insisted it was taking action against suspected child abuse.

The interior ministry said the 2021 report was submitted to relevant authorities in 2022.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban condemned the latest case of abuse, saying even “young criminals should not be treated this way”.

In 2024, Katalin Novak was forced to resign as president after it was revealed that she had pardoned the accomplice of a convicted child abuser.