The infamous case started in 2013, when Erika Renner was attacked in her home by her ex-boyfriend Krisztián Bene, that-time director of the Hospital of the Brothers Hospitallers in Budapest, who poured lye on the woman’s genitals. Bene was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Renner sued him for a compensation of 25 million HUF in 2017, and although she had already been examined several times during the criminal procedure, the judge demanded further gynecological and psychological examinations. The questions he wanted an answer for were:
- Considering her general condition and circumstances, would she have had the chance to have a child through natural or in vitro fertilization?
- What practical disadvantages does the vaginal injury cause in her life?
- Can it be established whether the injuries caused by the attack and their consequences have prevented her from getting pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term?
- Is she able to have a sex life?
In June, three female experts interviewed Erika Renner at the University of Pécs for four and a half hours, but when the psychologist and the psychiatrist started asking whether Renner’s present relationship can really work normally, she started crying so uncontrollably that she had to be escorted into the courtyard.
News website Telex acquired the 50-page experts’ report prepared at the court’s request. This states that the operations and other treatment could not restore the original state of the victim’s genitals; their function have been injured and thus the victim cannot have a satisfactory sexual life. As a result of the attack she would not be able to conceive naturally, only via embryo transfer, and could only give birth via C-section; she does not consider this a realistic alternative, and its success would have been doubtful in any case. The surgeon states that, even if there were to be further operations, their success cannot be guaranteed, and her sex life is likely to remain limited and painful.
The present expert opinion states that even now, 7 years after the attack, Renner can be diagnosed with serious PTSD (post-traumatic stress syndrome). She has not processed the crime, only learnt to live with the symptoms. “The psychic symptoms resulting from the crime, the serious negative change in her body image, a damage to her sexuality and sense of femininity, the limitation on her work and leisure activities have resulted in a considerable deterioration of her quality of life”, the experts write. They also mention the traumas Renner went through in the past years: first the prosecution wanted to terminate the investigation, then during the many court trials she had to explain in detail, in front of courts largely composed of men, about her urination and menstrual problems, the state of her genitals and the changes in her sexual life. This is a prime example of institutional abuse.
This March a new – this time female – judge was put on her case, but the trials continue behind closed doors, though Renner has requested an open trial, hoping that publicity would serve as a safety net. However, the Budapest City Court opposed this request with reference to the perpetrator’s personal rights.
As in the compensation case she is the plaintiff, Erika Renner must prove the seriousness of the harm suffered, so at one point she wrote an 18-page document detailing her injuries and how her life has not been able to go back to normal as a result – the fact that due to her urinary problems and the high risk of infection she cannot go to the toilet in public places is but the least serious of these. After submitting this document, she received a reply from Bene and his lawyer, giving her life advice and recommending a silicone “female urinating device”, which costs less than 10 euros and would, in their opinion, “completely solve” Renner’s urination problems.
- I feel I am treated like a chipped mug. You glue it together, dry it and can again drink coffee from it – Renner told Telex. She added that this had not been the first humiliating situation during this lawsuit. The perpetrator has asked, and the judge ordered her to submit the photos made about her genitals, which had been used for the criminal case but treated confidentially. She and her solicitor had to explain on several pages why these photos are sensitive data, only then did the court agree not to give them to the defendant.
The last trial in the compensation case was closed after two hours as the defendant had not received the expert opinion. He and his solicitor have asked the court to summon the experts for the next trial in person, so the plaintiff could ask them questions. Renner thinks that the perpetrator tries to delay judgement; the court, on the other hand, cannot handle the situation – it is not frequent that they must put a price tag on a vagina. The next trial will be held on November 11th, still behind closed doors.
Renner Erika szerint Benéék időhúzásra játszanak, a bíróság pedig láthatóan nem tud mit kezdeni a helyzettel. Tény, persze – teszi hozzá –, hogy a bíróságnak ezúttal „egy hüvelyt kell beáraznia”, amire nem sok példa volt még Magyarországon. A nő ugyanis 25 millió forintot követel a volt kórházigazgatótól.
A kártérítési per következő tárgyalását november 11-én tartják, továbbra is zárt ajtók mögött.
Van segítség! Ha szexuális erőszakot, bántalmazást követtek el önnel szemben, vagy zaklatták, hívja a NANE Egyesület bántalmazott nőknek szóló segélyvonalát a 06-80-505-101-ös telefonszámon. Az anonim módon, ingyenesen hívható szám hétfő, kedd, csütörtök és péntek este 18 és 22 óra között, valamint szerdán 12 és 14 óra között elérhető.
