In October 2019, the 17-year-old and two underage friends were stopped by police while driving without a licence in Pecs, in south-western Hungary.

They fled the scene and hid in a nearby mine, where officers later found them and used unlawful physical force on the 17-year-old.

One officer kicked him while he was on the ground, and another struck his head with a flashlight. The handcuffed teenager sustained multiple bruises and contusions, requiring medical attention.

Represented by the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, the victim filed a criminal complaint for official misconduct, but the Kaposvar Regional Prosecutor's Office dropped the investigation after a year.

His appeal was rejected, leading him to exhaust domestic legal remedies and turn to the ECtHR.

The Strasbourg court ruled that Hungary violated the young man's rights by failing to conduct a thorough investigation, saying that no one shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

The Helsinki Committee cited the court as saying that the state's failure to exercise due diligence in such cases, including neglecting basic investigative steps, also constitutes a breach of fundamental rights.

Photo: police.hu

Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881.

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