Day of Mourning Declared in Rhodope After Deaths of Infant and 6-Year-Old
Rhodope Municipality in Bulgaria has declared a day of mourning today to honor the memory of two young children from the village of Belashtitsa who recently passed away
The investigation into the tragic deaths of two children in the Sofia village of Vakarel has concluded, determining that their mother, 33-year-old Ukrainian citizen Ksenia Plachkova, committed the crime in a state of insanity. As a result, the criminal proceedings against her will be terminated, and she will not be held criminally responsible.
A forensic psychiatric and psychological evaluation confirmed that Plachkova was unable to comprehend her actions or control them at the time of the crime. Experts assessing her condition stated that she presents a maximum risk of aggression and suicide, leading to recommendations for her compulsory placement in a psychiatric hospital. Prosecutors will request that the court order her institutionalization for a period of up to six months, with periodic evaluations to determine whether further treatment is necessary.
Plachkova had been charged with the intentional murder of her two minor children, aged 5 and 11, who were found dead in their beds with multiple neck wounds. Their father discovered their bodies and reported the tragedy at 1:55 p.m. on February 1. Authorities recovered the knife used in the killings inside the house where the family had been staying for only a few days.
According to prosecutors, Plachkova had expressed a motive for the crime, which psychologists are currently analyzing. Officials are investigating whether the incident was an attempted extended suicide, as she reportedly had previous mental health concerns and had spoken about struggling with her mental state in the past. However, there is no evidence of domestic violence within the family, and at the time of the crime, the father was in Sofia.
Relatives and acquaintances of the family described them as "exemplary," while psychiatrists believe that the crime was not an impulsive act. Before moving to Vakarel, the family had lived in the coastal town of Aheloy for over a year, where the father worked in construction and the restaurant industry.
Plachkova remains in custody under a preventive detention measure, awaiting a court decision on her placement in a specialized psychiatric institution.
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