Hungarian teacher's pro-paedophilia stance morally disconcerting

The employees of public educational institutions are tasked with promoting the development of the students, so although Zsolt Bite's behaviour is not unlawful, it is morally objectionable, the president of the National Faculty of Education (NPK) said.

WORLD FEBRUARY 14. 2023 12:03

As staff members of public educational institutions, our most important task is to represent the interests of the children above all and to promote their physical and mental development, Peter Horvath, the president of the National Faculty of Education (NPK) told Hungarian daily Magyar Nemzet. Mr Horvath was speaking in connection with the case of a pedagogy assistant, who bragged in an online video that he had a 15-year-old lover. The assistant has since been dismissed.

The president of NPK said that as far as he knew, the man’s act is not punishable by law, but added that it is morally completely irresponsible.

„According to the code of ethics of the National Faculty of Education, we have to work with our students within the limits of our roles,”

the NPK president told the paper. Peter Horvath also said that a 15-year-old student „has little to no experience in romantic relationships”, and the defence mechanisms existing in adults have not formed in him yet, so an asymmetric relationship like this typically causes harm to the child.

„To abuse a situation in which our ability to influence is much higher raises moral concerns and it is objectionable.”

the president of the teachers’ organisation stated. The dismissed pedagogy assistant told Blikk that he did not understand his dismissal, as he was only joking when he said these things. He added that students do not have access to his videos, primarily intended for adults, and that his activities on TikTok have nothing to do with his work as a teacher.

In the meantime, it also came to light that last Wednesday, the teaching assistant delivered a sexual education class without permission for the institution’s lower-grade students. During the session, he solely focused on describing the sexual life of same-sex couples. The parents soon learnt about the themed session and contacted the school management, addressing some of their questions to the principal.

The parents of students in upper grades have already complained about the teacher, followed by several students on social media, where he has once published a video encouraging suicide and openly promoting sexual diversity, among other things. In response, the school transferred Zsolt Bite from the upper grades to the lower grades.

A constitutional lawyer told the Hungarian press that this case may constitute a type of sexual abuse that is defined by the criminal law as follows:

Any person over the age of eighteen years who engages in sexual activities with a person over the age of fourteen years and under the age of eighteen years where abuse is made of a recognized position of trust, authority or influence over such person is punishable by imprisonment not exceeding three years.

The law makes clear provision for the protection of minors aged over fourteen, thus such relationships may constitute a felony even if the minor has already reached the age of fourteen, the legal expert underlined.

WORLD

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Hungary, pedophiles, students