Amendments to the provisions of the Criminal Code with stricter penalties for violence against women examines it Bulgarian parliament, after the uproar caused by the revelations about the brutal attack recently received by an 18-year-old by her ex-boyfriend.
About a month agoan 18-year-old woman was stabbed dozens of times by her 26-year-old ex-boyfriendwho broke her nose and shaved her head.
The court of the city of Stara Zagora, which took charge of the case, characterized the injuries as “light” and did not order the arrest of the perpetrator. After a wave of public outcry, the 26-year-old was arrested. He denied committing the attack and was released after 72 hours in custody.
Last week, thousands of Bulgarians demonstrated in several cities across the country to end violence against women, holding placards reading “Not one more woman”. “How can such sadism be characterized as simple bodily harm? The court’s reaction was shocking,” 39-year-old Emilia Stoyanova told AFP.
Amendments to the Criminal Code include the abolition of the suspensive nature of the execution of sentences for “minor physical injury”, an offense punishable by up to two years in prison. The maximum sentence for the offense of causing “moderate (dangerous) bodily harm” is also increased to eight years in prison (from the current six). In the Protection from domestic violence the term “close relationship” is also introduced, which the head of the Socialist Party, Cornelia Ninova, described as “legal absurdity”.
“This definition is unclear and needs to be clarified”lawyer Adela Katsaunova admitted, emphasizing that the addition is mainly intended to protect minors who were not covered by the relevant law.
Eighteen femicides were recorded in the first quarter of the year in Bulgaria, according to police figures. However, human rights organizations consider this to be an underestimate. In the first half of 2023, 596 cases of domestic violence were recorded compared to 426 in the corresponding period last year, according to the same source.
Source: News Beast
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