All Elderly Residents from the “Houses of Horror” in the Village of Yagoda Relocated; One of the Detained Is an Emergency Nurse

All elderly people from the so-called “houses of horror,” uncovered by authorities in the village of Yagoda, Stara Zagora disrict, have been removed and placed in other social care facilities. BNT has learned that one of those detained is a 68-year-old nurse from the Emergency Medical Centre in Stara Zagora.

• "Houses of Horror” in Yagoda: The Elderly Were Tied Down, Sedated, and Abused — Five Arrested

“For several years, the properties in question functioned as nursing homes for the elderly. At the beginning of this year, the operator submitted a statement declining the license to provide this type of social service. Since then, ownership was transferred, and the premises were reclassified as ‘rooms for rent.’ The National Revenue Agency has initiated an inspection of the case; we will request their findings in order to conduct our own analysis based on the other evidence and the prerequisites for criminal liability. A sixth person — a 62-year-old man — was declared wanted and was arrested late last night under a 24-hour detention measure. Charges will be formally brought against him today, and pretrial detention will be requested. A commercial company was registered at the beginning of the year, managed by the two men who were previously arrested and charged. They are the owners of the properties and provided the logistical support — food supply and operational organisation of the facilities. The three women were the direct perpetrators of this anti-care for the elderly: they administered medications, tied patients to their beds, and used physical violence against them,” stated Tanya Dimitrova, District Prosecutor of Stara Zagora, in an interview with BNT.

According to her, the women were hired as maids and carers and do not possess the medical qualifications required for caring for ill individuals.

“There are mentally sound individuals who can give credible testimonies, as well as others who need specialised medical care. They are sharing shocking accounts of being locked up. One woman said: ‘I’ve been here for four years and have seen nothing but my room and the yard.’ Another man escaped, was caught, and beaten — he says he was beaten unconscious. These people truly lived in appalling conditions and were subjected to both physical and psychological abuse. Two of the residents were in critical condition,” added Prosecutor Dimitrova.

“People should not be locked away. They should be cared for and given a chance to live a dignified life. I believe that within a week it will become clear how and why the law was circumvented, because not every circumvention requires legislative changes,” stated Natalia Kiselova, Chair of Parliament.

“I feel like these people were hidden from the whole world. Where were the social services? Where was the oversight?We love to talk about control these days. It’s as if we are facing these problems for the first time and are only now starting to think about how to control various systems. This is a harsh diagnosis — above all, for us as a society and for the work of the institutions,” added Vice President Iliiana Iotova.