site.btaUPDATED Bulgarian Fund for Women, EU Agency for Fundamental Rights Hold Conference on Domestic Violence

The Bulgarian Fund for Women and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights organized a conference on domestic violence in Sofia on Wednesday. 

The event was opened by Vice President Iliana Iotova, who stressed that the domestic violence and the violence against women are urgent public issues that requires consistent policy. She argued that the victims must be brought out of anonymity, and society and the State must take action.

The Vice President also highlighted the violence against children and aggression in schools, which she described as “another epidemic”.

Deputy Justice Minister Mihaela Mechkunova noted the State’s efforts to build a stable legislative framework, including the provision of free legal and psychological assistance, support through sheltered housing and the work of the regional counselling centres, which have reached 27 across the country.

The head of European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights' Justice, Digital and Migration Unit, Joanna Goodey, underlined the importance of data for informing policies and funding. According to the Agency’s data, one in three women in the EU has experienced physical or sexual violence by a perpetrator, and nearly one in five - by an intimate partner. In Bulgaria, the percentage of women who have experienced violence by a perpetrator is 11.9%. Goodey also noted that cyberviolence and online abuse remain a serious problem, especially for young women, and that the EU’s legislative instruments must be supported by effective implementation and monitoring. The expert pointed out that Bulgaria has the highest percentage of people who believe that domestic violence is a private or family matter.

Interior Ministry, Supreme Judicial Council and prosecution service data presented by Assoc. Prof. Blagorodna Makeva show that the protection orders issued against perpetrators in Bulgaria in 2024 amounted to 5,252, with 6,397 victims, 66% of whom are women and 25% are children. By October 2025, 5,356 victims had been registered this year, 66% of them women. In 2024, 53,051 reports of domestic violence were made to the 112 emergency number, and by October 2025 - 34,498, with over 70% of the calls related to bodily harm.