Vice President of the Bulgarian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation Neviana Vladinova has become a victim of a dangerous act of vandalism in Sofia. The windshield of her car was shattered by a piece of concrete thrown from a terrace of Paradise Center mall.
Vladinova herself reported the incident in posts on her Instagram profile, where she showed photos of the damage. According to her, two boys aged between 13 and 15 were throwing pieces of concrete at passing cars.
"Yesterday, at 10:30 PM on Cherni Vrah Blvd., from the terrace of Paradise Mall, two boys (13-15 years old) were throwing pieces of concrete at cars. I hope we were their only hit. The boulevard was busy, people were passing by, others were exiting the metro station. For me, it was pure luck that they hit the window. I don't want to think about what would have happened if that stone had hit someone's head," Vladinova wrote.
She added that she spent the evening at the police station after the incident, as she hopes the case will have consequences.
"I have been a child too, and I have caused trouble, but throwing stones on a central boulevard in Sofia on a Saturday night is unacceptable recklessness. There is no excuse. We spent our evening at the police station because we hope there will be consequences... and because it is sad to read more and more often about how children kill people," the former national competitor noted.
The incident occurred in an area with heavy vehicular and pedestrian traffic. A metro station is located nearby, and at that time, many people were passing along the boulevard or exiting the metro.
The case serves as a reminder of other acts of aggression involving minors. At the end of 2023, two boys aged 13 and 14 were detained after throwing stones at a public transport bus in Burgas that had passengers on board.
A year and two months later, three boys aged 11 and 12 attacked a 46-year-old man in Merichleri, beating him and throwing stones at him. The victim was taken for treatment to the hospital in Dimitrovgrad.