News

1 July 2026

Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva sent recommendations to the Minister of Education and Science Prof. Georgi Valchev and to the Minister of Interior Ivan Demerdzhiev, calling for additional preventive measures to protect children from sexual abuse.

The Ombudsman’s actions were prompted by the publicly reported case of a man who had been convicted three times of sexual abuse of minors and who had worked as a security guard at a school in the capital after presenting a clean criminal record due to legal rehabilitation. 

In her letter to the Minister of Education, the Ombudsman recommends that school principals be informed of the potential risks and take the necessary organisational measures to protect children. She points out that when outsourcing activities to external contractors whose employees have direct access to students, special care should be taken to ensure the students’ safety.

At the same time, the Public Defender recommends considering the possibility of amending and supplementing Ordinance No. 8121z of 26 February 2025, so that all employers who hire individuals to work with children are required to check the National Information System for the Prevention and Protection Against Pedophilia, even if the applicant submits a criminal record certificate. In her letter, she points out that despite the existence of the registry, current rules allow employers in a number of cases to rely solely on the submitted criminal record, without conducting a check in the system. This poses a serious risk, especially when schools outsource their security to external companies. 

In her letter to Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev, Delcheva asks whether individuals who have received legal rehabilitation are removed from the National Information System for the Prevention and Protection Against Pedophilia, what the procedure is for employers to access the registry, and whether they are required to submit an application and wait up to 14 days for a background check. She also asks whether there is a practice of removing individuals from the registry after rehabilitation, what steps will be taken to make the registry truly effective, and whether a link has been established between the “Judicial Status” system and the Ministry of Interior’s registry. 

Delcheva also points out that the state is obligated to take all necessary measures to protect children from sexual abuse. She therefore recommends that mandatory background checks be extended to include everyone who works with children, including those at private schools, after-school activities, children’s clubs, recreational activities, and childcare services. In her words, children’s safety must be the guiding principle.