An 18-year-old Bulgarian woman whose case of domestic abuse triggered nationwide protests has thanked Bulgarians for their support, which led to changes in the legislation against domestic violence in the Balkan EU member state.
“Thank you for supporting me, thinking about me, praying for me, and fighting with me in this very scary time for me,” Debora Mihailova said in a video message on Facebook.
The video was posted after Bulgaria's parliament gathered in an extraordinary session on August 7 and approved changes to the Criminal Code and the law on protection from domestic violence.
The amendments provide for the right to protection for people who have experienced violence in the context of an intimate relationship or for victims of violence who are neither married to their potential abuser nor are they in an actual relationship.
Mihailova, from the central city of Stara Zagora, was hospitalized in June after being beaten and cut multiple times with a knife, allegedly by her former boyfriend. The man also broke her nose and shaved off her hair in the June 26 attack, the victim said.
The 26-year-old suspect, identified by the media as Georgi Georgiev, was arrested after the attack, but a court in Stara Zagora later released him after rating the woman's injuries as "light."
The incident was only made public on July 28 following her family's frustration with the slow pace of the investigation.
On July 31, thousands of people staged protest rallies in Sofia and other Bulgarian cities, calling for an overhaul of legislation and improved protection measures for women.
The suspect was rearrested on July 31 amid the public outrage and the prosecutor's office announced that it was "accelerating" the investigation.
Bulgarian police statistics show that 18 women were killed in the first three months of this year by suspected partners. Women's rights activists say the number is much higher.
