Three nursing homes located near the capital, Bucharest, were raided after NGOs and neighbors filed complaints of abuse in care homes, revealing 98 victims who were found in dirty, malnourished, and bruised conditions.

Romania’s Minister for Family Affairs, Gabriela Firea, has resigned following a scandal involving alleged numerous abuses in care homes for the elderly and disabled.

Gabriela Firea, Romania’s Minister for Family Affairs. | The Romania Journal

The suspects of the abuse in care homes misappropriated funds worth $1.18 million. One of the suspects of the abuse in care homes previously worked at Firea’s parliamentary office, reported by U.S. News.

Prosecutors launched a criminal investigation against 26 suspects accused of committing abuse in care homes like human trafficking, fraud, forgery, and forming organized crime groups to exploit the vulnerable individuals under their care.

Prosecutors have revealed after the investigation in regards to the abuse in care homes that the elderly in Romania were subjected to severe mistreatment, including forced labor, physical abuse, inadequate food and medical care, and lack of proper hygiene.

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Firea claims she was unaware of the abuse in care homes and believes she is being targeted to prevent her from running for mayor in 2024. Romania has upcoming elections next year.

The government and state agencies denied knowing about the abuse in care homes, which the President Klaus Iohannis referred to as a national disgrace.

However, investigations on the abuse in care homes revealed more mistreatment. Local news websites previously reported on the abuse in care homes in Romania, and showed that the government and state agencies had been notified about them.

People protested outside the government offices against the lack of oversight and corruption that has impacted public administration and basic services.

Romania Insider reported that Romania’s Minister for Family Affairs, Gabriela Firea is the second minister to resign from their posts to due to the abuse in care homes scandal. Romania’s labor minister Marius Budai also resigned from his post amid the abuse in care homes issue, sharing almost the same sentiments with Gabriela Firea.

READ MORE: Romanian Minister Resigns After Criticism in Elderly Abuse Case