On 23–24 March 2026, UNIDAS4EU partners visited the 12th District of Budapest (Hegyvidék), Hungary, focusing on the city’s local system for the prevention of domestic violence and protection of victims, with particular attention to coordination between municipal services, law enforcement, and social support structures.
The visit included presentations and exchanges on governance models, referral pathways, and operational practices implemented at district level, as well as on the broader city strategy for addressing domestic violence. Key local actors presented how services are organized and connected in practice, from early detection to crisis response and victim support.
Key sites visited included the Family Support and Child Welfare Centre, the Budapest 12th District Police Department, the Hungarian Ecumenical Aid – Regional Crisis Ambulance, and the Budapest City Municipality, where the city-wide strategy for the prevention of domestic violence was presented.
Key conclusions from the visit:
- 12th District of Budapest benefits from structured governance frameworks and a clear strategic orientation at city level.
- Strong cooperation exists between municipal services, social protection structures, and police authorities.
- Referral pathways are in place but vary in maturity and require further consolidation to ensure full system coherence.
- Proximity services play a crucial role in early identification and support of victims.
- Integrated approaches combining prevention, intervention, and crisis response are already in operation across several services.
Transferability Perspective:
Budapest presents a relatively well-structured system with clear strategic alignment and active multi-agency cooperation. At the same time, there is potential to further strengthen formal coordination mechanisms and streamline referral pathways across institutions to improve system continuity and consistency.
The visit showed that effective responses depend on how different actors coordinate and work together across the local system.