- It is not his first time, there is evidence of previous acts of physical and mental abuse on her
- He does not work, abuses alcohol and is supported by his grandmother, who receives a minimum pension
BGN 1,500 will count for a pampered Plovdiv resident who beat up his own mother in their apartment. After arguing with the 81-year-old woman, he punched her in the eye, causing minor bodily injury.
The man lived with his mother, abused alcohol and became aggressive as soon as he drank. On August 10, the woman was on the terrace of their apartment, when her son went to her and started arguing with her. Talked about his dead father and her husband. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the room. The old woman was sitting on a chair in the living room, and he reached out for no reason. He punched her in the face, hitting her around the left eye, which started to hurt and swell. Then he took her to the bedroom, pushed her, lay down and fell asleep.
The grandmother stood up and looked around the apartment. The apartment was messy, but she saw two brandy cartridges, one empty. She assumed the man had drunk it. She called his son, who lived with his mother, and told him what had happened. Understanding what had happened, he also came to the residence of his father and grandmother, and as soon as he saw her, he called the police. During that time, the 81-year-old woman applied cold compresses to reduce the swelling and ease the pain.
The next day at 8:30 a.m., a team from the Fifth District Office responded to the report of domestic violence. Entering the apartment, the police found the two residents and the guest there, and the grandmother’s eye was already blue.
From the prepared examination of the injured woman, a number of traumatic injuries were found – swelling of the head, hemorrhaging on the eyelids of the left eye, lacerations on the back and hemorrhaging on the left forearm and wrist. According to the experts’ conclusion, it is quite possible that they were received in the way she tells – by punches, pulling hands and falling to the ground.
For the committed crime, the law stipulates a fine of between BGN 1,000 and BGN 5,000. The prosecutor has asked the magistrates to impose a BGN 2,000 fine.
In his explanations, the defendant admitted to the blow to the face. The District Court in Plovdiv accepted the number of traumatic injuries as aggravating circumstances, although the act qualifies as one bodily injury. Also, the evidence points to this not being an accident. There is information about previous cases of domestic violence by the son towards his mother, the abuse being both physical and mental. All of them were realized after the use of alcohol.
The man was convicted in the past, but to date has been rehabilitated and has a clean criminal record. He does not work and abuses alcohol, having left himself entirely to the support of his mother, who lives on a minimum pension. As for the woman herself, the court has accepted that she cannot defend herself from her son’s attacks.
After getting acquainted with all the facts and circumstances of the case, the judge decided that the man should be released from criminal liability and fined BGN 1,500. This is possible, since he had not been released before. According to the magistrates, such a punishment would have a deterrent and educational effect on him.