MEP resigns after police raid ‘sex party’ in Brussels over lockdown breach

A Hungarian MEP has resigned after police in Brussels raided a reported ‘sex party’ of around 20 people for breaching lockdown rules.

Jozsef Szajer, a senior member of Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban’s ruling conservative Fidesz party, resigned as a member of the European Parliament on Sunday.

It came after police in the Belgian city shut down a party of around 20 people in an apartment in the city centre on Friday evening.

Several European media outlets have reported that the gathering in question was a “sex party”.

Szajer announced in a statement on Tuesday that he had been present at a house party on Friday that was broken up by Brussels police for breaching lockdown rules.

He was cited as saying in the statement that he had cooperated with police.

Officers were called to an apartment on Rue Des Pierres by neighbours at around 9.30pm on Friday, according to Sarah Durant, spokeswoman for the deputy public prosecutor.

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In the property, officers found about 20 people and checked their identities. Two attendees, who the spokeswoman only referred to with the initials “D.O. (1977)” and “P.B. (1977)” invoked diplomatic immunity.

But a third, who tried to flee the scene, was later identified by means of a diplomatic passport, Durant said.

She referred to this man only as “S.J. (1961)”. There has been no confirmation that this man is Jozsef Szajer, who was born in 1961.

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S.J. was caught by police after a passer-by reported seeing a man fleeing down a drainpipe.

Durant said officers found the man with bloody hands and drugs in his backpack. She said it is possible he was injured while fleeing the scene.

“The man was unable to produce any identity documents. He was escorted to his place of residence, where he identified himself as S. J. (1961) by means of a diplomatic passport,” the spokeswoman said.

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“A police report was drawn up for non-compliance with measures relating to the COVID-19 pandemic for all those present. A report was also drawn up for S.J. for violation of the narcotics legislation.

“The procedure is ongoing. Criminal proceedings could only be brought after the waiver of the diplomatic or parliamentary immunity of the above-mentioned persons by the competent authorities.”

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