Thousands march in Hungary to protest child abuse scandal

Thousands of Hungarians marched on Prime Minister Viktor Orban's offices on Saturday, led by opposition leader Peter Magyar, who called on the veteran nationalist to resign over an abuse scandal at a juvenile detention center.

Protesters walked through the frozen streets of Budapest behind a banner reading "Protect the children!", holding soft toys and torches in solidarity with the victims of physical abuse in a case dating back several years.

The prosecutor's office said on Wednesday that seven people had been detained so far at the state juvenile detention center in Budapest.

Orban, who faces what could be the toughest challenge to his 15-year rule in elections likely to be held in April, condemned the abuse in an interview with the Mandiner media outlet, calling it unacceptable and criminal.

"More and more disgusting things continue to appear every day, which I didn't think were possible in this country," said Judit Voros, one of the protesters who marched to Orban's offices on Castle Hill in Budapest.

Earlier this week, the government placed Hungary's five juvenile correctional institutions under direct police supervision while prosecutors investigate the case.

Prosecutors have been investigating the center's former director for months, on suspicion of running a prostitution ring, money laundering, and human trafficking.

A video released this week by opposition activist and former lawmaker Peter Juhasz prompted the resignation of the center's interim director.

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