Hungary police warn women of dangers of flirting

BUDAPEST, Hungary — Marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, police in Hungary have warned young women about the risks of flirting.

The Vas County police department issued a statement Tuesday about rape prevention, cautioning that “flirting by young women can often elicit violence.”

The statement was sharply criticized by women’s rights advocates. It came a few days after police from another Hungarian county released a video whose message of “You can do something about it, you can do something against it” seemed to suggest women were at least partly responsible for sexual attacks against them.

Reka Safrany, of the Hungarian Women’s Lobby, said they were confounded over the “unprofessional” releases which “very much blame the victims.”