NNA – Hungary#39;s president has resigned amid outrage over her pardoning of a man convicted in a child sexual abuse case.nbsp;
President Katalin Novak faced days of growing pressure to resign because of her controversial decision to pardon a man whonbsp;was convicted of covering up crimes committed by a sexual predator at a childrenrsquo;s home.nbsp;
The 46-year-old announced in a televised message on Saturday that she would step down from the presidency, an office she has held since 2022.nbsp;
ldquo;I issued a pardon that caused bewilderment and unrest for many people,rdquo; Novaacute;k said on Saturday. ldquo;I made a mistake.rdquo;nbsp;
Novak – the first female president in Hungary#39;s history – had unleashed a political scandal unprecedented for the country#39;s long-serving nationalist government, Fidesz.nbsp;
Her resignation is a rare episode of turmoil for the right-wing party, which under the leadership ofnbsp;Prime Minister Viktor Orbaacute;n has been accused of dismantling democratic institutions and rigging the media in its favour.nbsp;
Novak, a key ally of Orbaacute;n, has been an outspoken advocate of traditional family values and the protection of children.nbsp;
Scandal could bring down other politicians
There were protests in the Hungarian capital Budapest on Friday, demanding Novak#39;s resignation.nbsp;
The man who Novak pardoned was sentenced to more than three years in prison in 2018 for pressuring victims to retract their claims of sexual abuse in a state-run children#39;s home by its director, who was sentenced to eight years for abusing at least 10 children between 2004 and 2016.nbsp;
It was well known that Novak had pardoned some two dozen people ahead of Pope Francis#39; visit to Hungary in April 2023.nbsp;
However, it was only recently disclosed that one of those pardoned was the deputy director of the children#39;s home who covered for his boss while he preyed on its residents.nbsp;
Novak was the youngest person to ever hold the office of president in Hungary.nbsp;nbsp;
Also implicated in the pardon was Judit Varga, another key Fidesz figure, whonbsp;endorsed the pardon as Hungaryrsquo;s then Justice Minister.nbsp;nbsp;
Varga was expected to lead the list of European Parliament candidates from Fidesz when elections are held this summer.
But in a Facebook post on Saturday, Varga announced that she would take political responsibility for endorsing the pardon and ldquo;retire from public lifequot;.nbsp;
She resigned from her seat as a member of parliament. — Euro News
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