‘You can only really help with actions’: Interview with dr. Judit Varga, Minister of Justice on the victim support system in Hungary

Abstract

‘Victim assistance is a complex activity that requires a great deal of expertise, the cooperation of government agencies, police forces, churches and NGOs, so that victims can receive appropriate, tailored assistance as soon as possible,’ said Judit Varga. She said the government’s goal is to have victim support centres in all county capitals by 2025. The above thoughts were expressed at the inauguration of the second Victim Assistance Point in Érd on 10 January 2022, where the Minister also mentioned the Victim Assistance Point in Salgótarján, which was also inaugurated in order to provide assistance and administration as quickly as possible. Thanks to extensive information and a series of campaigns, the number of people using the services of victim support centres is increasing. We asked the Minister of Justice, Dr. Judit Varga, about the innovations and modernisations that have been made since the opening of the points, how many people have used the services offered, and what the Ministry of Justice’s objectives are. The interview was conducted by dr Zsuzsanna Hornyik, deputy editor-in-chief.