Search Continues For 11-Year-Old Natalia

The search for 11-year-old Natalia Asenova from the village of Konstantinovo, near Varna, has continued for a third consecutive day. Yesterday, the AMBER Alert system for early warning in cases of child abduction was activated.

According to the Ministry of Interior, the child is accompanied by a 40-year-old man. Based on information from relatives, the girl is believed to have been abducted by the man, who previously lived in a domestic partnership with her mother.

Eleven-year-old Natalia is approximately 160 cm tall, of solid build, with shoulder-length brown hair and light eyes. She is accompanied by 40-year-old Asen Simeonov. The man is around 170 cm tall, of solid build, with short-cropped hair. He has a criminal record and has served a sentence for robbery. The child has been missing since the early hours of 30 June.

For eight hours, volunteers and police have been actively searching for 11-year-old Natalia. Nearly all families in the village are taking turns participating in the search operations.

Residents’ concerns are linked to the forecast of severe weather. Heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected, and they hope this will not hinder the search efforts.

People are strongly critical of some comments on social media. They told BNT that Natalia is a very kind and quiet child.

The mayor of Konstantinovo said that with the passage of time there are increasing concerns that the situation could have more serious consequences.

“The rocky areas, caves, abandoned houses in villa zones have been searched. The concern is great. We have no concrete lead. We, the volunteers, are simply searching the land,” the mayor of Konstantinovo said.

“At the beginning he treated Natalia very well. She saw him as a father figure when she was three years old. But later he started drinking, beating them. They expelled him and he came back to take revenge,” a local resident said.

The school “St. St. Cyril and Methodius”, where 11-year-old Natalia studies, hopes she will be found safe and well. They are ready to provide any psychological support she may need.