The Prosecutor’s Office will seek the permanent detention of the three young men who attacked passersby in downtown Sofia, at Slaveykov Square.
They have been charged with hooliganism characterised by exceptional audacity and cynicism. A hearing on their pre-trial detention measure is scheduled for today.
“The penalty for minors convicted of this offense can be up to two years of imprisonment. For the adult individual, the sentence could reach five years,” stated Deputy District Prosecutor Atanas Dotsinski during a briefing on July 7. “None of the three individuals has a prior conviction. One of them is known to the Ministry of Interior in connection with a beating or robbery. The conflict arose from a hooligan act — there was no provocation from the citizens’ side.”
According to Chief of Sofia Metropolitan Police Directorate (SDVR) Lyubomir Nikolov, the incident occurred during the night of July 3 to 4. Prior to the physical altercation, a verbal exchange took place between the attackers and the victims after they encountered each other briefly near the square’s fountain.
“One of the perpetrators became agitated when the victim asked him for a cigarette. The victim then walked away toward the scene of the incident, and the assailants followed him. The physical altercation in front of the 24-hour shop was triggered by the victim’s dispute with the saleswoamn,” added Nikolov.
Photos: BTA
The victims did not report the attack, but a young woman recorded a video of the incident.
"We have had no contact with the victims and have not yet identified them, but that does not impede the pre-trial proceedings," Lyubomir Nikolov said.
According to him, juvenile delinquency cannot always be attributed to so-called "locales".
“Parents should not allow their children to be out unsupervised during late evening or early morning hours. Minors should be home by 10:00 p.m., and children under 14 should be home by 8:00 p.m. There are administrative penalties for noncompliance,” he said.
“Large parts of Sofia are under video surveillance, but our investigative methods extend beyond that.”
“The two minors involved have no criminal record, are not registered, and are not listed in the Juvenile Pedagogical Room system. The individual who is currently of legal age had previously been registered as a minor in connection with two thefts, for which corrective educational measures were imposed,” stated Vanya Tsankova, Head of the Juvenile Crime Unit.
“The two minors will now be placed under supervision in the Juvenile Pedagogical Room. An inspector will regularly meet with them, and a community educator from their respective municipality will be assigned to work with them. Measures directed at the parents must be strengthened — not limited to warnings. The law provides for sanctions, including mandatory participation in parenting capacity-building courses. If it is determined that there are issues within the families and the children are at risk, the Child Protection Departments will be notified. Contact has already been made with the parents, and an initial conversation has been conducted.”
Chief Inspector Stefan Popov, Head of the Juvenile Crime and Criminal Contingent Sector, added:
“These individuals were likely unfamiliar with each other prior to that night. What our investigation has established is that the youths committed these acts under the influence of alcohol.”
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