site.btaGovernment to Allocate BGN Six Million for Measures Against Domestic Violence until 2026

The government plans to allocate BGN 6 million from the state budget until 2026 to address the issue of domestic violence, said caretaker Justice Minister Maria Pavlova during the annual meeting of the operational team of the Regional Council for the Prevention of Domestic Violence in Razgrad Region on Friday.

Pavlova stated that the most funds are earmarked for the prevention of domestic violence, which includes national information campaigns and trainings for all professional groups who have contact with the problem. The creation of a national telephone line with a single telephone number to help victims of domestic violence and people at risk is also pending, she emphasised. She noted that lawyers registered in the legal aid register of the national legal aid office provide free services in cases related to domestic violence, both at the national legal aid line and at the regional counselling centres.

Funds have also been allocated to support the existing mobile application Pomogni mi (Help Me) of the national legal aid office, as well as for social, psychological and legal counselling for legal representation and for specialized programmes for the recovery and protection of victims and witnesses of aggression at home. Pavlova also said that the municipalities will continue to support the existing 31 crisis centres in the country, which can accommodate a total of 348 women and children who have suffered from violence. 

Pavlova stressed that domestic violence is a serious problem that affects millions of people around the world, and a large percentage of them are children. The minister pointed out that Bulgaria took significant steps to limit domestic violence through the creation of the National Council for Prevention and Protection from Domestic Violence.

She noted that the National Council has adopted several decisions related to domestic violence, including guidelines for the implementation of the law on protection from domestic violence and recommendations for improving victim support services. “These initiatives aim to ensure that all state and local authorities work together in the interests of victims. The Justice Ministry has made changes to the rules for implementing the Law on Protection from Domestic Violence, which can ensure the proper implementation of the law," Pavlova said. 

She emphasized that whatever measures the state takes in the form of the government, legislation and local authority, they will not yield results if all institutions and professionals working in this field and citizens do not approach the problem responsibly. Even more so when the perpetrators, victims and witnesses of this are children.