The government launched an investigation last week after the UKbased Mental Disability Advocacy Centre (MDAC) issued a report containing allegations of abuse of residents of the facility which houses 220 people with disabilities.

During an April visit to Topház Special Needs Institution in Göd, near Budapest, the civil group active in Hungary and the UK said it found residents in physical restraints, poor hygienic conditions, malnourishment, and residents with open and untreated wounds. In today’s meeting, Czibere said that “what MDAC said they saw does not exist”.

The investigation so far has also found that the NGO entered the premises without permission, took photos without the consent of the subjects and published them without permission from their guardians. “There is no legal remedy through breach of law”, Czibere said.

Scrutiny did reveal irregularities in the TopHáz home, but they were on a very different scale from the abuses alleged, Czibere said, citing a staff shortage and the lack of privacy of residents as examples. NGOs using such methods do not protect children but infringe on their rights, and the Hungarian government will not cooperate with them, Czibere said.

He also called on the media to handle similar issues more carefully. Commenting on the meeting at a press briefing, Tímea Szabó of opposition Dialogue party said that the party finds it “outrageous” that the government was attempting to place the blame on NGOs instead of admitting to having neglected the welfare system.

Czibere’s comments suggest the government prefer to sweep the whole issue under the carpet, she said.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.

MTI photo: Bruzák Noémi