Hungarian police reassign two staff members after offensive email incident

The National Police Headquarters (ORFK) has concluded its internal investigation into an incident involving offensive internal correspondence sent to a journalist. As a result of the probe, two staff members have been reassigned and will no longer work in the communications department.

The controversy began when a journalist from HVG, seeking an interview regarding street harassment, accidentally received an internal police email. The message contained derogatory language, referring to the journalist as a ‘screeching bluefish’ (sikítozó kékharisnya) in relation to a request for an interview with the Budapest Police Chief.

In an official statement, the police leadership condemned the tone of the email, describing the contents as ‘unacceptable.’ The organization emphasized that it expects all personnel to maintain cultured and respectful communication with colleagues, citizens, and journalists alike. The police stated they intend to use the incident to improve organizational culture and prevent similar occurrences in the future.