President of Hungary resigns after pardoning pedophile convict

The country's first woman president, Katalin Novak granted a pardon to a man who covered up sexual abuse in a children's shelter. She leaves office after strong popular pressure. The president of Hungary, Katalin Novak, announced her resignation in a speech on national television this Saturday (10/02), after facing enormous pressure for having granted a presidential pardon to a man convicted as an accomplice for having helped cover up sexual abuse committed in a children's shelter.

“I was wrong,” said Novak, the first woman to assume the Hungarian Presidency, in her speech. “Today is the last day I address you as president.” The 46-year-old politician is an ally of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and a member of his party, the ultra-right Fidesz.

Novak had been under pressure from public opinion and opposition parties since the presidential pardon became public on February 2.

The recipient of the benefit was a former director of a children's shelter who helped cover up sexual abuse committed by his superior on children and adolescents.

Dozens of people received presidential pardons in April last year, shortly before Pope Francis' visit to Hungary. The benefit, in principle, may allow the convicted person to return to his previous profession as a physical education teacher.

“I made a mistake”

“I decided to grant the pardon last April because I believed that the convict did not abuse the vulnerability of children, whom he supervised,” Novak said this Saturday. “I made a mistake, since forgiveness and a lack of reasoning allowed us to cast doubt on the zero tolerance that should apply to pedophilia.”

Before becoming president, she was Minister of Families in Orban's government. To try to reduce the anger surrounding the case, the Prime Minister sent a constitutional amendment to Parliament last Thursday to make it impossible to grant presidential pardons to those convicted of crimes against children.

The Presidency and head of state of Hungary play mostly ceremonial roles, with real power remaining in the hands of the prime minister. Unlike other parliamentary regimes, Hungarian presidents have veto power over new legislation and can order the Constitutional Court to review laws.

With Novak's resignation, the president of the National Assembly (Hungarian Parliament), Laszlo Kover, will assume the Presidency on an interim basis.

rc (AFP, Reuters)