2024-09-21 19:29:31
Statistics indicate that there were nearly 26,000 domestic violence calls to 112 from January to August this year. And between September 1 and 19, just under 2,000 came.
This shows a serious increase in cases of domestic violence in our country this year, reports NOVA. In 2023, their number was over 30,500. And the cases until September 2024 are equal to those reported in the entire years 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Men and women who have committed domestic violence will be required to attend programs to overcome aggression and deal with anger. This is foreseen by the standards adopted by the office for specialized services for victims of domestic violence and risk assessment methodology, which will be applied by the judicial authorities.
Among the services are a national helpline for victims and persons at risk, social, psychological and legal counseling, specialized recovery and protection programs in counseling centers and sheltered housing.
Victims of violence will receive information on the location of sheltered housing from the national hotline, the Ministry of the Interior, the courts, social assistance directorates, hospitals, the ombudsman, local authorities, etc. All those who have declared that they have suffered will be accepted there 24 hours a day, and their accommodation will be kept secret. Officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be able to visit them when necessary.
Examples of domestic violence in recent days are not few. This morning, a young woman from Chelopech told about the beating inflicted on her by the man with whom she has been living for 8 years. He leaves her crippled – with an ovary removed, two broken arms and a busted mouth.
“I will always remember that day. A three-hour beating. That’s all I told him – I’m dying. And he answered – die, die!”, she said.
A few days ago, a man beat the mother of his child in Plovdiv. The case of harassment was reported by a family friend of theirs who discovered a chat on her phone and learned about the abuse from there. After an investigation, the rapist got another charge – for threatening to kill the other man.
An Englishman was left in custody in Vratsa for beating the woman he lives with. The man was charged with causing minor bodily harm in the context of domestic violence.
On September 15, a 55-year-old woman filed a report at the Shumen police station because her husband had hit her and then kicked her out of their home. He punched her in the chest, then locked her out of the apartment.
A Kyustendil man who systematically abused his wife received a suspended sentence. He pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm and making threats to kill. He assaulted the woman he lived with, hitting her on the head and body with his hands, as well as pushing her on the bed. As a result, he caused her minor bodily harm, pain and suffering.
Since the beginning of the year, 240 pre-trial proceedings have been instituted in Sofia alone for causing bodily harm in the context of domestic violence. And for the first 6 months, 10 people went to prison, their sentences were different. The number of permanent and immediate protection orders issued has increased significantly. From the beginning of the year to July 31, a total of 3,035 orders were issued. For comparison, during the same period last year, they were 2,355.