At the ceremonial opening, the Minister of Justice highlighted that the Hungarian government has changed the method of reaching victims from January 2021, thus introducing a so-called opt-out system based on direct access to victims, under which victims are now contacted directly by the state victim assistance service and offered help for them.
Judit Varga mentioned that in 2020, a national victim assistance communication campaign was launched, within the framework of which the vansegitseg.hu victim assistance portal and a Facebook page called the Victim Support Center were created with the aim of informing victims and potential victims as widely as possible. In addition, the Ministry of Justice participated in the development of an application created for victims of intimate partner violence, which also includes the contact information of Victim Support Centers.
The minister emphasized that our cooperation with state and non-state bodies and organizations is ongoing. Victim support services operate in all capital and county government offices, and their work is supported by Victim Support Centers in six rural cities (Kecskemét, Miskolc, Pécs, Szeged and Szombathely) and the capital.
The Hungarian government has made it easier to access victim support services, so all support can now be requested free of charge without a need test. In addition, a free Victim Helpline operates 24/7 to ensure that citizens who have become victims can receive information outside of office hours. Those who come to the center are welcomed in a calm environment, completely different from the office environment, where everyone receives professional, personalized help.
The minister emphasized that the Victim Support Centers provided support to almost 15,000 victims last year, and the victim support line received more than 11,000 calls. The government's goal is to build a national network so that these services will be available in all counties by 2025.
Source: OS
Photo: Facebook
