Domestic Violence Victims Say Institutions in the Country Are Not Functioning Effectively, Survey

According to a survey conducted by the Buditelkite Foundation, 75% of domestic violence victims in Bulgaria believe that institutions in the country do not function effectively.

The research was carried out among members of the largest Facebook group dedicated to the issue — "You Are Not Alone: United Against Violence." A particularly alarming statistic relates to children: 46% of respondents reported having been victims of violence themselves as children, and 51% said their children had witnessed acts of violence.

"More than 50% believe that the law is not working effectively. This doesn’t necessarily mean the legislation itself is flawed, but rather that it may not be implemented in the most effective way. Naturally, the ongoing political crisis has also had a negative impact on the fight against domestic violence," commented Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Zafirov.

Veronika Dimitrova from the Department of Sociology at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" explained which institutions were viewed with the least trust by the respondents.

"The institutions that respondents trust the least are the police and child protection services, which is often due to their direct experiences and interactions with these bodies," said Dimitrova.

Levena Lazarova, Executive Director of the Buditelkite Foundation, added that 85% of respondents stated that the abuse continued even after leaving an abusive relationship.