Romanian charity leader Viorel Pașca placed under judicial control amid illegal care‑home scandal

Viorel Pașca, head of the charity association Dumbrava – Dumnezeu Poartă de Grijă, and his wife, three sons and the manager of the homes have been ordered into judicial control by the Bucharest Tribunal pending further investigation. Prosecutors allege that Pașca headed an organised criminal group that ran illegal “azile” in Bihor County, exploiting hundreds of vulnerable adults for financial gain. The homes allegedly accepted only people who could provide pensions, disability benefits or other social aid, confiscated personal documents, barred phones and external contact, and directed all income to the group. Estimates from the indictment suggest the operation generated up to 1 million lei per month. Former Tinca mayor Teodor Coste testified that Pașca repeatedly brought corpses to the town hall to pressure officials. The prosecution seeks preventive detention for Pașca and family members, but the legal deadline for arrest expired, allowing them to leave the courthouse while a decision is pending. Pașca denies wrongdoing, claiming the homes were funded by donations and that only a minority of residents received pensions. The case has drawn attention to alleged medical neglect, forced surrender of identity papers, and possible document falsification within the network.