The #MeToo movement is nine years old, yet the scandals persist. Breaking the taboo on sexual abuse was a crucial first step, but it is no longer enough.
#MeToo Was a Good Start, But It Was Only the Beginning
The impact of the #MeToo movement, launched in 2017, has been monumental; it effectively jump-started the engine of human rights awareness. Albeit with a significant latency period, we have managed—in quite a few cases—to roll past the shame and fear, to discard sordid backroom deals, and to breach the wall of silence. However, the very journalists who broke the Harvey Weinstein story and thereby breathed life into the movement, Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, noted in their volume She Said:
Those who agreed with the #MeToo movement, and those who found it excessive, thought the same thing on one point: significant change has not yet occurred in workplaces and legislation regarding the prevention of sexual abuse.
That quote is from 2019. In the six-plus years since, there has certainly been progress on the legal front within the European Union. In Hungary, for instance, the Whistleblower Protection Act has laid down the frameworks through which victims can act in their own interest—even anonymously—excluding the risk of adverse labor or other consequences. The crux of the problem now lies in translating this theory into practice.
Grooming, Harassment, and Abuse Beneath the Surface
A defining characteristic of sexual abuse is its enormous latency: victims are often only able to speak about their trauma after 10, 15, or even 20 years. The cases currently bubbling to the surface—whether the domestic Szőlő Street case or the global Epstein-type scandals—prove not that the problem is a thing of the past, but that perpetrators may still walk among us in the present, continuing to claim victims.
The 2023 Whistleblower Protection Act has the potential to sever this continuity. A predator does not stop of their own accord. As long as there is no safe, anonymous channel through which their environment (witnesses, colleagues, victims) can signal an alarm, they will continue to operate undisturbed within a carefully cultivated vacuum of trust. The technological implementation of the law and education are therefore pivotal. We cannot wait another decade to unmask the abuses occurring today.
But Who Are They? – The Anatomy of a Sexual Predator
A misconception persists in the minds of most people: the abuser does not jump out from behind a bush in a dark alley. The predator sits in the office, in the gym, in the sacristy. The "Dark Triad" of psychology—narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy—often echoes in these profiles, especially if the individual plays a prominent role in a specific field.
The public face of Péter Pál Juhász, the former director of the Szőlő Street reformatory, was that of a deeply feeling, Christian, patriotic figure—a confusingly "good man" who would almost whisper his good deeds in hushed, reverent tones during interviews (Source: Válasz Online). Outwardly, he shone in the role of an exemplary child protection specialist, while inwardly representing a completely different set of values. In the reformatory he directed, he established a military structure where the tool of order became violence, rather than pedagogical methods or the principles of social work.
Legends circulate regarding Jeffrey Epstein’s charismatic, winning personality. He employed sophisticated grooming techniques to manipulate his victims, building trust before exploitation. His wealth and connections allowed him to exert significant influence, using his status to evade consequences and maintain control over others. He inflicted damage upon his victims without a shred of empathy or remorse.
Sexual predators are often highly intelligent and capable of building a system around themselves—an island, a logistical fortress, a legal and power-based defense—that can guarantee their impunity for decades.
Epstein, Juhász? Merely the Tip of the Iceberg.
How many are there? The criminological concept of the "dark figure of crime" applies most poignantly here. Estimates suggest that reported cases comprise merely 5-10% of total abuse. One reason for this is that many are simply unaware that what they are enduring exhausts the legal definition of harassment. Many believe that only physical molestation counts as harassment. Yet, unpleasant physical proximity, touching, excessive familiarity, or physical restriction are not required for harassment to be realized.
In reality, it is already harassment if the perpetrator creates a situation that is awkward, embarrassing, humiliating, or fear-inducing for the other party, and in which they experience vulnerability. This can be "merely" a verbal manifestation: lewd comments, humiliating or offensive remarks regarding appearance, but sexual propositions, the telling of sexually charged jokes, and verbal threats also belong in this category.
Psychological harassment can mean recurrently intrusive approaches, provoking sexual topics, interrogating the other about their intimate life, or initiating awkward topics and games with the targeted victim. Last but not least, visual abuse exists, encompassing the showing or sending of offensive, embarrassing images, or making sexual gestures.
The perpetrator typically ignores the other party’s feedback, or rather, the victim's confusion and fear further fuel the harassment. The motivation here is power, the experience of superiority, the humiliation of the other, and the enjoyment of their distress.
Why the "Open Door" Is Not Enough
Many leaders live under the delusion that they can prevent workplace harassment because organizational integrity is strong and the code of ethics is posted on the intranet. Furthermore, "anyone can come in if they have a complaint." This is an illusion. The victim of sexual harassment often feels that if they voice what happened, they will become an object of ridicule or risk their position and achievements.
As long as a complaint can only be made personally within an organization, the perpetrator has the advantage. They are, after all, masters of manipulation: they isolate the victim and make them believe that no one will believe them.
The Key to Prevention: The Power of Anonymity
The foundation of prevention is a secure and secret communication channel. Modern technology is indispensable; it is capable of breaching the wall of silence and raising a digital shield around the most vulnerable. A professional, anonymous complaint handling system is necessary in every serious organization. Such a software solution does not merely tick the box of legal compliance; it fundamentally rewrites the dynamic that gives space to abuse.
The greatest advantage of technology is that it enables complete anonymity. The victim or the eyewitness can make a report from anywhere, from their own phone, with a few simple clicks. There is no fear of retaliation because the system’s encryption guarantees that the reporter’s identity remains hidden. Under such frameworks, signals do not come to light years later, after traumas have deepened, but at the very moment the abuse begins. This gives the organization the opportunity for immediate intervention before the situation causes more serious damage.
Implementing a transparent complaint handling system sends a clear message to everyone: in this institution, we are paying attention. For predators, the greatest risk is exposure. If they know that leadership can receive immediate notification of their behavior, their hunting ground ceases to exist.
Ultimately, such a framework does not merely manage trouble; it creates a protected environment in which sexual predators simply can no longer find a foothold.
