site.btaManager of Illegal Hospice in Village of Govedartsi Released without Charges

The manager of the illegal hospice in the western village of Govedartsi was released from custody without charges, the Sofia District Prosecutor's Office told BTA.

He was detained on a police order for up to 24 hours and released after its expiry. The prosecutor's office did not find grounds to file charges as the elderly people in the hospice were not kept there against their will, as was the case in the southern village of Yagoda. Elderly people with their legs tied, under the influence of narcotics, locked in rooms with horrific conditions, without bed linen, window handles removed and without connection to the outside world, were discovered by inspectors from several state institutions in two facilities in the village of Yagoda. Seventy-five men and women aged 51 to 86 were held in appalling conditions in illegal homes for the elderly, Justice Minister Georgi Georgiev said at a briefing at the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior in Stara Zagora on Monday.

A few days ago an inspection was carried out in the hospice in Govedartsi to check all documentation concerning permits, licenses and the hospice's activities. According to initial information, 23 residents were found in the hospice. At the time of the inspection, no people were found in poor condition or signs of violence and abuse, nor in a helpless state, Mariola Markova, spokeswoman for the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior-Sofia, told BTA.