Coordination Mechanism for Victims of Domestic Violence

The Council of Ministers approved a Coordination Mechanism designed to assist and support victims of domestic violence, announced Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Zafirov after today's government meeting. The tension in the air was palpable while journalists awaited news from the important meeting.

In recent years, data from the courts, the prosecutor's office, and the Ministry of Interior reveal a worrying trend – a sustained increase in cases of domestic violence and the number of protection cases. In many regions, cases based on the Protection from Domestic Violence Act report an annual growth of 25-30%. Zafirov emphasized that this growth also includes cases involving children.

The Protection from Domestic Violence Act already clearly defines what constitutes domestic violence and what measures the court can impose. "Our task as the executive branch was to ensure that this law works as a unified system, and that is exactly what the Coordination Mechanism adopted today does, which regulates the main procedures for interaction between all involved parties," explained the Deputy Prime Minister.

The aim of the new mechanism is to synchronize all necessary actions. The idea is to provide effective and adequate protection in each specific case, avoiding the situation in which the victim is forced to go through multiple institutions and repeatedly retell their story, as happened until now. The mechanism clearly defines the interaction in cases involving children. In these cases, every child at risk is treated not only as a witness, but also as an independent victim, who is entitled to specific protection and the involvement of child protection authorities, Zafirov stressed.

The Deputy Prime Minister also noted that the fight against domestic violence is a long process. It includes legislative changes, adequate funding for social services, training for professionals, and most importantly – changing public attitudes. According to him, without order and coordination between the institutions, all these efforts would be semi-effective. "Domestic violence is not a private problem, it is a matter of human dignity and concerns the security of the state," said Atanas Zafirov.