September 18th, 2012

Parliament backs domestic violence initiative in unanimous vote

Lawmakers decided on Monday that parliament should decide about incorporating domestic violence into the country’s new Penal Code as a separate offence, a demand signed by 105,000 people in a recent initiative.

The initiative was supported by 366 deputies in favour, none against, with ten deputies of the co-ruling Christian Democrats, including party leader and deputy PM Zsolt Semjen, abstaining.

Parliament started a debate on the initiative last Monday. Lawmakers of the ruling Fidesz and Christian Democrats said that current legislation and the new criminal code would provide an appropriate legal framework, while opposition parties opposed the view.

Istvan Varga, a Fidesz politician, sparked outrage among the opposition parties, civil groups and female lawmakers of Fidesz with comments suggesting that violence was commensurate with the size of a family.

On Friday, Antal Rogan, the group leader of Fidesz announced that based on talks he and Prime Minister Viktor Orban held with the party’s women deputies, Fidesz changed its position and supported the initiative.

Zoltan Balog, the human resources minister, said on Saturday after meeting the civil group that launched the initiative, women lawmakers of Fidesz and of the opposition LMP, that the government would submit a relevant motion to parliament already this year.

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  • wolfi

    “with ten deputies of the co-ruling Christian Democrats, including party leader and deputy PM Zsolt Semjen, abstaining.”

    Doe this mean that these guys are not against domestic violence ?

    Really strange – well, it’s “Hungary” or rather Hungarian politicians who seem really disconnected from reality …

    • Leto مؤدّب

      @unwelcome German alcoholic idiot in my country:

      It means the ten Christian Democrat MPs objected to the phrase “családon belüli erőszak” (violence within family) because they didn’t want to associate the words “family” and “violence”.
      KDNP announced they’ll back the law as soon as the phrase will be changed to a more appropriate one. According to the latest news the terminology will be changed into “párkapcsolaton belüli erőszak”.

      Ceterum censeo MSZP delendum est.

    • JA aka justasking

      @Wolfie,

      ‘Doe this mean that these guys are not against domestic violence’

      No, Wolfi, it has to do with people wanting a ‘label’ on the crime, in this case, under the heading ‘domestic violence’.

      I ask you, if the assault under ‘domestic violence’ carries the exact same punishment as plain ol’ assault…does the title really matter? Is not the objective of the Law…to protect people from violence, regardless of why?

      If a person is murdered…would it matter why they were murdered or simply that they were murdered? That’s what this is all about…people wanting to know ‘what category’ it should fall under…who cares?

      Too bad, that more time and effort was not given into promoting in schools, the message ‘we don’t hit each other, regardless of sex…that this kind of behaviour is simply not acceptable. As well as more time and effort in IMPLEMENTING the Law, training staff to assist victims, actually HAVING staff to deal with these victims.

      That should be the bloody focus, not semantics.

      • Leto مؤدّب

        @justasking:

        Yes, that’s the worry really, that is the application of criminal law would get more cumbersome and confusing with the introduction of this new kind of crime “domestic violence”. On another thread, I posted to the opinion of a Hungarian law professor who said this.

        Anyway, politics has had its play, all deputies supported the proposal (apart from the ten Christian Democrats who want another name and abstained), the petitioners had their way, all are shiny and happy…

        Ceterum censeo MSZP delendum est.

  • olga

    @ Leto

    I am done explaining things to people like Liz and Wolfi but you are a Z*ionist and I am anti-women so whatever. I didn’t see the Hungarian law professor’s opinion but I know the KISS principle applies to criminal charges

    Your favourite topic – gays.

    If a gay person is assaulted and it’s an obvious hate crime according to the victim with disgusting slurs etc , the case still proceeds as an “assault” charge – gets rid of issues like what was said which is irrelevant as well as debatable, wastes court time, and does not affect sentencing.

    BTW, should you wish to learn to insult gays in Spanish and join or be a new you and join a ” senitivity group” which I highly recommendcheck out “Blue Jays to address Escobar’s anti-gay slur”

    I am not joking about the sensitivity group – I have the News on and he is donating big bucks to gay causes and will be going to these groups plus he was suspended from playing for 3 days.

    I also heard him interviewed and this has nothing to do with his comments but he was not picked for baseball based on his IQ – dumb as they come

  • wolfi

    Just read the wiki chapters on domestic violence, then you might understand why it ‘s a good thing to have separate rules for that:

    -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_violence

    • Liz Aucoin

      @wolfi, it is much too complicated for Olga, she will only read the first couple of paragraphs then get off topic. As you can tell above, she cannot keep her focus and will ramble and make things up on your stance if she feels her posts are not long enough.

  • olga

    @ Wolfi

    I only gave up on Liz 100 %, only 90% on you :) )

    I looked at the wiki – too long for people to read including me.

    What the whole issue is in Hungary is the wording of the legislation and if it should include a specific charge of “domestic abuse” vs the Canadian type laws where it is “assault” and its variation.

    Since I am very interested in topic and I am sure so are others, can you be specific where the pros and cons are mentioned because I couldn’t find it in the quick read method

    • Anonymous

      Gypsies want automatic entitlement of basic services like free supply of drinking water and electricity to alleviate “racial oppression”

      -http://www.hungarianambiance.com/2012/09/gypsies-want-automatic-entitlement-of.html

      • Leto مؤدّب

        -http://nol.hu/archivum/ha_a_kormany_tehetetlen__jojjon_az_ensz_

        I myself want entitlement of petrol, tonic water and beer, pizza, books, Internet-access and flight tickets within Europe.

        Ceterum censeo MSZP delendum est.

        • Magyar

          Do you finally understand why a lot of gypsies annoy me?

          Its this kind of thing that pisses me off.

          Olga, why horrified?

          • Magyar

            A lot of Hungarians grew up in and live in same conditions as gypsies, where are their freebies?

            This is racism against Hungarians.

            The last thing our economy needs is paying for the lives of lazy gypsy scum criminals.

          • Leto مؤدّب

            No need to over-generalize…
            This Aladár Horváth is a well-known hate-monger, an ex-SZDSZ MP and “the” Roma politician of that (now luckily defunct) extremist party.

            Aladár Horváth, invited by Munk Center* and York University, said in Toronto: “the Roma are in an immediate and direct danger in Hungary, they are being stigmatized and the government is setting up force labour camps like the ones in Mussolini’s Fascist state. This is why Canada has to receive a lot of Roma refugees from Hungary”

            *Peter Munk is an anti-Hungarian J*wish villain akin to George Soros: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Munk

            -http://mno.hu/belfold/balog-felhaboritonak-tartja-horvath-aladar-kijelenteseit-1038666

            Ceterum censeo MSZP delendum est.

  • Magyar

    Olga, I wrote a reply to you on the other thread, but it dissappeard, I dont know why.

    I have posted it several times, but it just vanishes, not even for moderation.

    I will try again tomorrow, meanwhile be patient ;)

  • olga

    @ Magyar

    Lucky me, I read it. Maybe God is on my side; horrified of what JOBBIK can do for Hungary’s reputation

    • Curious George

      @Olga – here’s something I found on the profile of the average jobbhead, if you’re interested (God told me you might be, & she :D also reassured me it was more credible than Hungie Ambiance) -http://www.demos.co.uk/files/Demos_Hungary_Book_web-1.pdf?1327923915

  • olga

    @ George

    It’s a book I’d like to read – will look for the profile.

    Don’t get the smiley face after the word “SHE” , was there any doubt? Must have been a mistake on your part putting it there. (Note the lack of smiley at the end of my previous sentence)

  • Janos

    Domestic violence! What about the abundance of it within the Hungarian parliament, itself? Or, is it just robbery with violence the way our taxes are being spent on these late night rants.
    Kövér László was simply playing to the gallery or, at least, the supporters of its coalition partners the KDNP that hold medieval ideas on how women should behave and what constitutes a normal household.
    I am pleased this nonsense is being discussed late at night when I am drinking duty-free palinka, and watching football, and bad-mouthing the wife and beating the kids.
    As every true-blooded Hungarian man should!

  • Viking

    The initiative was supported by 366 deputies in favour, none against, with ten deputies of the co-ruling Christian Democrats, including party leader and deputy PM Zsolt Semjen, abstaining

    Of course “family” and “violence” should not be mixed, then violence in the family is, like sex, as strict private matter and not for the State to get involved in

    In Hungary marriage should only be for a man and woman and the man has the right to beat up the woman

    Just think of the case if marriage was for two men, who would then be allowed to hit the other?

    Or two women, there would be no “measures” measured out, no rectification of wrong doings and thoughts, surely harmful for any offspring to be fostered

    No, let us in Hungary stick with the traditional concept:

    * Man marries woman
    * Man beats woman, if woman has less than 5 children

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