Hungary’s president resigns over a pardon to a man convicted in a child sexual abuse case

By The Associated Press on February 10, 2024.

FILE - Hungarian President Katalin Novak delivers his speech during Pope Francis' meeting with the authorities, civil society, and the diplomatic corps in the former Carmelite Monastery in Budapest, Hungary, Friday, April 28, 2023. Pressure is mounting on Hungaryâ€™s head of state to resign after it was revealed that she issued a presidential pardon to a man convicted as an accomplice in a child sexual abuse case. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, Pool, File)

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) – Hungary’s conservative president has resigned amid public outcry over a pardon she granted to a man convicted as an accomplice in a child sexual abuse case, a decision that unleashed an unprecedented political scandal for the long-serving nationalist government.

Katalin NovÃ¡k, 46, announced in a televised message on Saturday that she would step down from the presidency, an office she has held since 2022.

Her decision came after more than a week of public outrage after it was revealed that she issued a presidential pardon in April 2023 to a man convicted of hiding a string of child sexual abuses in a state-run children’s home.

“I issued a pardon that caused bewilderment and unrest for many people,” NovÃ¡k said on Saturday. “I made a mistake.”