What is the current situation of domestic violence in Bulgaria?

For the first six months of 2023 the police office has received 1,950 domestic violence protection orders. Of these, 647 are orders for permanent protection, and 1,303 – for immediate protection (aggregated data collected and processed by the National Police General Directorate)

Pre-trial proceedings for crimes committed in the context of domestic violence have increased by 40%. For the first six months of the year, there were 596, compared to 426 for the same period last year. According to the data of the Ministry of the Interior, only in June 2023, 35 cases of domestic violence were revealed. The disclosure rate is 3.8%. (svobodnaevropa)

What was the situation in 2022?

During 2022 were identified 736 cases of domestic violence. Of these, 10 are against persons with disabilities, 188 against women, 6 against men and 542 against children.  (report 2022)

By the end of 2022, 115 children were accommodated in crisis centers for children, and 55 victims of domestic violence were accommodated in crisis centers for individuals (report 2022)

What do the indexes show?

The Gender Equality Indexes shows:

• Gender Inequality Index Rank :52 (UN development programme)
• Gender Inequality Index is a composite metric of gender inequality using three dimensions: reproductive health, empowerment and the labour market. A low GII value indicates low inequality between women and men, and vice-versa.
• Global Gender Gap Index Rank :42 
• The global gender gap index benchmarks national gender gaps on economic, political, education, and health-based criteria.

On the territory of the country at the moment there are: 

• 20 crisis centers for children, with a total capacity of 212 places
• 8 crisis centers for individuals, with a total capacity of 94 places
• 146 community support centers, with a total capacity of 6,050 places
• 1 Community center for children and families, with a total capacity of 30 places
• 12 “Mother and Baby” units, with a total capacity of 75 places
  Resource: svobodnaevropa.bg

A case that made the whole country stands against domestic violence

In the summer 2023 an 18 years old girl from Bulgaria was beaten, s****d, and needed 400+ stitches.

Injuries were ruled as minor and her ex-the perpetrator was barely punished.

This led to a series of protests across the whole country against the justice system and especially against the judges that were in charge of the case. The protest ended with changes in the law policies part of the law against domestic violence. 

Changes in the law against domestic violence:

Shortly after the start of protests the concept of “intimate relationship” became officially part of the law. After the changes – persons who do not live together, but have been in an intimate relationship for more than 60 days, also have the right for immediate protection. The definition was subject to sharp criticism, and there was even talk that the text could be challenged before the Constitutional Court. Lawyers have expressed their disagreement with them, as the way to prove the intimate relationship will be problematic.

Prepared by YouthPrint ESC Volunteer: Teodor Grozev

References:

• Report on the equality of women and men in Bulgaria for 2022.
• https://www.svobodnaevropa.bg/
• United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Report 2021/2022
• World Economic Forum, the Global Gender Gap Report 2022.