Hungarian harassment law extended beyond the workplace

Since Christmas, police are no longer able to send individuals away who report harassment, as ethic and sexual harassment are now officially considered crimes. Legislation for harassment in the workplace has been in place for some time, but there were no legal regulations for private harassment by an ex-spouse or acquaintance before the modification of criminal law in December.

According to the new law, those who harass others and impose themselves on the lives of others against their will without committing any other crimes can receive one year in prison, community service work or a fine. Those who threaten violence or other dangerous and punishable activities may receive two years, or, if the person they threaten is an ex-spouse or person under their care, the punishment may reach three years in prison, reports Népszabadság.

Although spammers can be considered harassers, they are not worth reporting as the jury is focused on those who persistently poison the life of others. The regulation has left a back door open for harassers as only direct threats against a person can be considered harassment. If a threat is made to damage an object, the law is powerless.

Although the technical regulations have been finalized, harassment is still difficult to prove in court. Police cannot employ secret service methods to gain evidence because harassment is a crime with a punishment of less than five years. Officers are limited to finding witnesses, surveillance and collecting indirect evidence. The offended party can record phone calls or other conversations, but secretly recorded material cannot be used as evidence for data protection reasons.

• Email
• Save to My Caboodle