An avalanche of reports of domestic violence followed the news of the abuse of an 18-year-old girl in Stara Zagora, but court orders for permanent victim protection increased even earlier in the year.

This is what Zornitsa Shumanova, who heads the new unit for combating domestic violence at the National Police, told bTV:

"For the first six months of 2023, the Main Directorate of the National Police received 1,950 orders for immediate and permanent protection from the relevant regional directorates of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Comparing it to the six months of 2022, we have an 18% increase in issued orders. We have 40% growth of initiated pre-trial proceedings in the conditions of domestic violence".

Shumanova specified that a working group will improve the methodological guidelines for police officers to respond to cases of domestic violence.

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