After a brutal knife attack on a young woman, a judge in Bulgaria caused horror. Massive protests followed. Now the country is struggling for stricter measures.
A judicial scandal shook Bulgaria: After a number of stab wounds on a young woman, the judge only spoke of “minor physical injuries”. Their decision to let the alleged perpetrator walk again after 72 hours was followed by demonstrations in several cities, mostly attended by women. Politicians are under pressure and are now struggling to take stricter measures against violence against women.
A broken nose, a brutally shaved head and 21 deep stab wounds were the cause of the debate. A 26-year-old thug known to the police is said to have done this to his 18-year-old girlfriend – “out of jealousy,” says the woman’s mother. He rang the doorbell and just stabbed. The alleged perpetrator had only been with his victim for four months. His arm has a tattoo that reads “Liberty or Death.”
Protests against domestic violence against women
It was this case that sparked nationwide protests involving thousands. You have had enough. “We won’t be quiet anymore,” protesters shout. “Are you sleeping well, Judge…?” and “How many more women?” is on their posters. Are you angry. Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov also spoke up: “The indifference of the judiciary was “shocking”.
Protesters demonstrate against violence against women. A sign reads, “How many more?”
Fall indicates systematic problem
The case stands for the whole thing, is a pars pro toto for violence against women. One of them, who is called “Maria” in this article for her personal protection, speaks from her own experience: after calling an assistance hotline, she only got the tip to go to the doctor. “I slept on the street. Only then could I come here,” she says.
“Here,” as she calls it, is a center for women in need in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia. As she says, the 24-year-old woman was beaten by her husband, locked up for days without water or food. The man threatened to kill her little child.
Too little help for women in need
There is help and places of refuge for women like Maria in Bulgaria, but far too few. There are only 18 beds in the city of Sofia and around 180 across the country. Desislava Dimitrova from the organization “Feminist Mobilization” says that far too many people in Bulgaria have turned a blind eye to the issue of violence against women. Men hit their wives – that’s still “normal” in many families.
“We still live in Bulgaria in this patriarchal world. The role of the woman is only to be a mother and a housewife, to stay at home, to take care of her husband, to serve him,” says Dimitrova, who is one of the Affected counts. “I was a victim of violence myself. I have friends who were victims of violence. That’s why I’m an activist.” No one should die anymore – that’s her only motivation at the moment.
Protests increase pressure on politicians
The protests have made a difference in the country: more women dare to say what is happening to them. And the law against “domestic” violence has also been tightened, it no longer only applies to married couples. The debate in Parliament was fierce. MP Wezhdi Rashidov could no longer stay in his seat. His party, the GERB, is back in power. Rashidov was formerly Minister of Culture. He ran to the President’s desk, thought the microphone was switched off – and mobbed.
“What’s the nonsense” – meaning the new law – “all whores suddenly realize that they were raped 16 years ago.” Rashidov has since resigned and apologized.
The women’s protests continue. A slightly tightened law is not enough. They shout: “Not a single one more!” No woman in Bulgaria should be injured or killed because a man hits or stabs her.