site.btaUPDATED PM Denkov: Cabinet Identified 15 Measures Against Aggression and Violence

Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov met Thursday with representatives of the Ministries of Interior, Labour and Social Policy, Justice, and Education and Science, to discuss measures against aggression and violence. At a press conference after the meeting in the Council of Ministers, Denkov said that more than 15 measures against aggression and violence have been identified.

"Almost all of the measures are at the level of the Council of Ministers and ministries, requiring coordination between institutions. There are also measures related to amending legislation," the Prime Minister explained.

"In recent days and weeks, there have been media reports of very serious cases of violence. This has been a hidden epidemic in recent years. Encouraged by the support they have received from the institutions, many people dared to tell about their problems," Denkov said.

All available information which was used to formulate measures for preventing violence and helping its victims was reviewed at the meeting, Denkov explained. The Prime Minister gave the example of the discussed possibility to refine the texts in the legislation related to early marriages among underage children.

"This is a major issue and it is also a form of violence that needs to be addressed," Denkov pointed out. 

He assured that all the measures identified at the level of the Council of Ministers and individual ministries would be moved forward within a month. "Our commitment is to tell you in a month's time what has already been put into action," Denkov underlined.

At a government meeting on August 2, the Prime Minister instructed four ministers to propose measures against aggression. He pointed to the case of aggression against a young woman in Stara Zagora and the lack of adequate action by the justice system as the reason. "It is time for each of us to embrace our role and responsibility to stop the onslaught of aggression and pain in our lives," said Denkov then.