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Hungarian president Novak resigns over sex abuse case pardon

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Reuters

<p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:24px">Hungarian President Katalin Novak resigned on Saturday after coming under mounting pressure for pardoning a man convicted for helping to cover up sexual abuse in a children&#x27;s home.</p><p>Novak, a close ally of conservative Prime Minister Viktor Orban, pardoned some two dozen people in April 2023 - among them the deputy director of the children&#x27;s home, who helped the institution&#x27;s former director hide his crimes.</p><p>&quot;I decided to grant a pardon last April, believing that the convict did not exploit the vulnerability of the children whom he had overseen. I made a mistake, as the pardon and the lack of reasoning were conducive to triggering doubts about the zero tolerance that applies to pedophilia,&quot; she said.</p><p>This week, Hungarian opposition parties had demanded Novak&#x27;s resignation over the case and on Friday (February 9) a thousand demonstrators rallied at Novak&#x27;s office calling for her to quit.</p><p>In a bid to contain the political damage, Orban, whose Fidesz party is beginning the campaign for European Parliament elections in June, submitted a constitutional amendment to parliament late on Thursday depriving the president of the right to pardon crimes committed against children.</p><p>On Saturday, Orban&#x27;s former Justice Minister Judit Varga - who was expected to lead Fidesz&#x27;s list for the elections, and who also signed off on the pardon - said on Facebook she would step down as a Fidesz MP, taking responsibility for the decision.</p><div><strong>OTHER NEWS:</strong></div><div><strong><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/2/11/dnd-batanes-buildup-plans-none-of-china-s-business-1456">DND: Batanes buildup plans none of China&#x27;s business</a></strong></div><div><strong><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/2/12/more-than-50-people-killed-in-israeli-strikes-on-rafah-hamas-health-ministry-1005">More than 50 people killed in Israeli strikes on Rafah: Hamas health ministry</a></strong></div><div><strong><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/2/12/police-stop-shooter-at-joel-osteen-s-houston-megachurch-820">Police stop shooter at Joel Osteen&#x27;s Houston megachurch</a></strong></div><div><em>(Production Krisztina Fenyo, Hedy Beloucif) </em></div>

<p>Hungarian President Katalin Novak resigned on Saturday after coming under mounting pressure for pardoning a man convicted for helping to cover up sexual abuse in a children's home. </p>

Hungarian President Katalin Novak resigned on Saturday after coming under mounting pressure for pardoning a man convicted for helping to cover up sexual abuse in a children's home.