1st February 2024
The letter opened with:
With this letter, we would like to inform you about real and actual problems in the implementation of the Law for protection from domestic violence (LPDV).lTh echanges to the law were passed by the 49th National Assembly on 21.07.2023 and 07.08.2023 after years of delay.
The Bulgarian institutions were given a sufficiently long period of 6 months to allow the responsible ministries, institutions and state bodies to prepare and adapt the organisation of their activities to adopt the changes in the law.
The amended Law came into power on 1st January 2024 and the changes had to work to fulfil its purpose, which is to provide prompt and effective protection, assistance and support to people affected by or at risk of domestic violence and to exercise a preventive and deterrent effect on the perpetrator of violence. These changes were aimed at improving the lives of victims of domestic violence. The delay in the adoption and implementation of these changes has cost the health and lives of many people. People affected by domestic violence continue to rely mainly on charities that have been working for years to support them.
