Justice minister: Family support focus of social policy

The government allocates 5 percent of GDP to supporting families with children, and has created legislation to help them, she told the conference organised by the Ferenc Madl Institute of Comparative Law.

The Civil Code in force since 2014 prioritises children’s rights, especially in procedures on parental custody and guardianship, Varga said. A 2022 amendment widened the concept of shared custody, enabling parents to share care duties equally, she added. The child protection alarm system is now four-tiered, with a local, district, county and national system in place, she said.

The 2013 Penal Code provides stricter punishment for crimes against children in sexual abuse, paedophilia or human trafficking. Perpetrators of crimes against sexual freedom can be banned from certain professions, she added.

Over the past decade, the number of crimes registered has plummeted by 70 percent, and Hungary has become one of the safest countries on Earth, she said.