News

25 November 2025

"Every time a woman stands up with her story of what she has experienced, she does so in her own name, but also on behalf of all women, children, and victims of domestic violence. This requires courage and support, which must be timely and adequate." With these words, Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva addressed Roza, a participant in the conference "The Voice of Women in Support of the Law," organized by the Animus Association Foundation under the patronage of the Minister of Justice on the occasion of 25 November – International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

During the event, Rosa spoke about the severe physical violence she had suffered, the fear she had experienced for her children, and the support she had received from her loved ones and from the Animus Foundation, which is helping her in the process of recovery and seeking justice.

The conference brought together representatives of institutions, experts, frontline professionals, civil society organizations, and media outlets involved in combating domestic violence.

The Ombudsman emphasized that the meeting was taking place at a crucial moment – following the approval of the new Coordination Mechanism for Support to Victims of Domestic Violence, which should ensure better cooperation between institutions and real commitments to victims.

Velislava Delcheva recalled the legislative proposals made by the Ombudsman Institution back in 2020, including: the removal of the requirement for a "systematic nature" in the qualification of offences; integrated statistics and reliable data collection; an effective mechanism for coordination between all authorities; expansion of the network of crisis centers and social services; training for professionals; a national zero-tolerance campaign.

The Ombudsman pointed out that, according to 2024 data from the Ministry of Interior, 5,252 protection orders were filed, an increase of 18% compared to 2023. Women account for 68% of victims, and children for 25%. There has also been a 16% increase in cases involving male victims.

She noted that there was still a lack of reliable statistics on victims among children and persons with disabilities—groups that require additional protection. Delcheva also highlighted the conclusions in the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (the cases of U and Others v. Bulgaria, 2022, and A.E. v. Bulgaria, 2023), which clearly indicated the need for sufficient guarantees to protect persons at risk.

Among the unresolved issues, the Ombudsman highlighted the lack of sufficient crisis centers. In 15 of 28 regions, there are still no specialized services for shelter and support for victims—an inequality that must be addressed.

The Ombudsman also presented data from the European Institute for Gender Equality, according to which 40% of Bulgarian women and girls over the age of 15 were victims of psychological harassment, and in 35% of cases it was perpetrated by a current partner.

The Animus Association Foundation presented its observations following the latest legislative changes and the challenges in their implementation. Minister of Justice Georgi Georgiev expressed his commitment to the effective implementation of the National Coordination Mechanism and announced an upcoming third program under the Norwegian Financial Mechanism, focused on prevention and support. He also highlighted the 50% increase in funds for free legal aid.