Novák Pardon of Child Abuse Accomplice Revealed — Political Earthquake

On February 2, 2024, Hungarian investigative portal Direkt36 revealed that President Katalin Novák had secretly pardoned Endre Kónya, the former deputy director of the Kossuth Zsuzsa Children's Home who had been convicted of pressuring child sexual abuse victims not to testify. The pardon, countersigned by Justice Minister Judit Varga, had been issued in April 2023 but kept secret. Public outrage was immediate and explosive, cutting across political lines. Both Novák and Varga resigned within eight days.