Hungary Joins European Victim Support Helpline

Hungary has joined the European victim support helpline, that can be reached by dialing 116-006.

Minister of Justice Bence Tuzson said that criminal law has not historically been victim-centered, but rather focused on apprehending the perpetrator.

However, the government recognized that this was not enough and launched the victim support system so that neither the crime would go unpunished nor the victim would be left without help, the minister emphasized.

Although the number of crimes has been declining in recent years, more and more people are turning to victim support centers: in 2024, approximately 35,000 people sought help, and last year, 45,000, Bence Tuzson pointed out.

He added that this shows that the system is working well and that people trust it.

The minister also addressed the issue of online fraud, which he said is particularly difficult to detect because it is often committed from abroad, and every minute counts when it comes to effective action. For this reason, the government has developed a complex package of legislation, thanks to which it has already managed to recover 3.8 billion forints (10 million euros) from fraudsters, said Bence Tuzson, noting that this is a unique achievement in Europe.

Nóra Király, the ministerial commissioner responsible for communications at victim support centers, said that the victim support hotline has been operating for ten years at 06-80-225-225, but from now on, help can also be requested by calling 116-006 if someone becomes a victim of crime.

The government has been building the victim support center system for ten years, and soon the last county center will be handed over, completing coverage across the country, the ministerial commissioner said.

Orsolya Doszpoly, professional director of the victim support hotline, said that over the past fifteen years, they have been able to help more than 150,000 people through the emergency number.

Being a victim of crime is not just a legal situation or a statistic; it often shakes a person’s faith in the world, causing them to question justice and their belief in themselves, but the victim support line can be a source of certainty in this uncertainty, said the expert.

Via MTI; Featured image: MTI/Kovács Márton

The post Hungary Joins European Victim Support Helpline appeared first on Hungary Today.

Source link