The Day of Victims of Crime in 2025
The Victimology Section of the Hungarian Society of Criminology conducted a session titled ‘In Search of Missing Children’ on 24 February 2025, coinciding with The Day of Victims of Crime. This event was collaboratively organized with the National Institute of Criminology (hereinafter: OKRI) and the Ludovika University of Public Service (hereinafter: LUPS). Despite being scheduled in the afternoon, the session attracted a significant audience, including numerous experts, university students, and members of the public.
The meeting commenced with opening remarks from Professor Dr Tünde A. Barabás, the Director of OKRI, who also serves as the Head of the Department of Criminology at the Faculty of Law Enforcement at LUPS.
Subsequently, dr Ágnes Solt, a Senior Research Fellow at OKRI, delivered a presentation titled: “What happens to them? The reality behind child disappearances”. In her discourse, she outlined the primary objectives, methodologies, and trajectories of her recent research. The presentation notably highlighted statistical data regarding disappearances, including the number of cases involving missing minors from 2014 to 2024, as well as the specific counts of children aged 13-18 and those under 12 in 2024, categorized by county. Additionally, it focused on the number of disappearances from specialized care facilities, serving as a foundational element for the forthcoming research. These statistics were juxtaposed with the figures for disappearances occurring within family settings. The planned research will also involve further classification for the previous year, wherein the researcher will differentiate between ‘new missing’ and ‘re-missing’ categories, as well as those who remain ‘missing’. Furthermore, the study will investigate the duration required to locate a missing child, alongside the demographics of those who are unaccounted for. The data to be collected and its subsequent changes can be monitored via the wanted register available on police.hu. According to the police register, there are currently 37 children in Hungary who have been missing for a minimum of five months, comprising 13 girls and 14 boys, with 13 of these children being under the age of six. The youngest missing child is currently two years old.
Police Colonel Gábor Latorovszky, an advisor to the Chief of Police in Budapest, delivered a presentation titled “Practical Experiences Regarding the Disappearance of Children”, wherein he elaborated on the intricacies involved in the investigation of missing children. He also addressed the underlying factors contributing to these disappearances and the various threats faced by children who go missing. Latorovszky emphasized that the sense of adventure, domestic violence, abuse, neglect, fleeing from conflict, and anxiety over potential academic failure are significant contributors to such incidents. He noted that children are particularly vulnerable to accidents and criminal activities, including trafficking and prostitution, and may even become involved in criminal behavior through associations with illicit groups. In their challenging circumstances, many youths resort to substance abuse and face heightened risks of homelessness and sexual exploitation. To mitigate the occurrence of runaways and disappearances, he highlighted the critical role of nurturing family dynamics, where adolescents feel secure and can seek assistance from adults during crises. The speaker also reviewed a variety of strategies applicable in the context of missing children investigations, illustrating how these approaches can facilitate the recovery of lost children. He determined that in law enforcement, “locating missing children is our primary objective, but addressing the underlying reasons for their disappearance is equally crucial for us”.
The closing presentation of the event was titled “Without Reassurance – Reflections on the Szathmáry Nikolett and Till Tamás Cases”, featuring investigative journalists Janecskó Kata and Sebestyén Csaba as speakers.
The presenters referenced their seven-part podcast ‘Missing Persons’, which was produced and aired last year, detailing their investigative findings on two notable disappearances. Their work garnered significant positive feedback, prompting suggestions for a new series due to the high societal demand. The accompanying short films depicted the struggles faced by the victims' families and highlighted the police's failure to communicate effectively with the relatives. It illustrated the challenges parents encountered, including being treated as suspects initially and undergoing polygraph tests. The local community's reactions were also noteworthy, as parents experienced isolation, blame, and eventual apathy. Fortunately, the police's approach has improved in recent times. The journalists expressed their intention to monitor the judicial proceedings in the Tamás Till case.
In summary, Professor Dr Tünde Barabás stated that faith in the justice system is shaken in such cases; “where a case remains unresolved, there is no peace; only uncovering the truth and identifying the perpetrator can provide this...”.
The audience raised numerous significant inquiries and insightful remarks in the comments section following the presentations. Regarding prevention, it was proposed that creating additional educational films targeted at youth, similar to the classic “Csellengők” film, would be beneficial.
It was noted that law enforcement agencies exhibit greater involvement in cases of children who go missing directly from their families compared to those who disappear from foster care. A prosecutor highlighted the alarming decline in the child protection system, stating that children in care often seek a stable and nurturing environment, which reduces their likelihood of running away. An expert from the Ministry of Justice emphasized the critical need for improvement in regions that are falling behind in child protection efforts, advocating for a focus on enhancing parent-child relationships and maintaining family connections in prevention strategies.
A child protection guardian emphasized that it is quite common for children to be placed in different residential and care locations when removed from their families, which complicates and often hinders the ability to maintain contact. One reason for this is the limited number of institutions in Pest County.
The increase in the number of escape incidents is also attributed to the fear of making mistakes among the professionals in the system, leading to multiple alerts being issued for the same case of disappearance. Furthermore, according to the child protection guardian, the tightening of protocols has resulted in greater responsibility for guardians and caregivers, making them less willing to allow children to leave, which in turn contributes to the rise in escape incidents from child protection facilities.
A judge participant remarked that children in foster homes also engage in mutual abuse, and this phenomenon exhibits a high level of latency.
The chairperson of the section concluded by stating that, regrettably, the most tragic incidents are often unavoidable; however, authorities must address the relatives of the victims with heightened sensitivity and compassion in such cases. Key factors in prevention include social policy measures, police training, and parental education. Additionally, the importance of identifying and categorizing victim groups was emphasized, along with the need for further scientifically grounded recommendations directed towards legislators and law enforcement officials.
