Over 300 people affected by domestic violence have received legal aid

In 2025, 119 people who have suffered from domestic violence have received free legal aid so far, of whom 12 are men, the chairwoman of the National Legal Aid Bureau, Natalia Ilieva, said in an interview with BTA on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. 

The National Legal Aid Bureau (NLAB) is actively working to provide legal aid to people who have suffered from domestic violence. In 2023, a memorandum was signed between the Ministry of Justice and the NLAB on the one hand, the Ministry of Interior and Bar Councils, to which regional counseling centers have been created, under which memorandum people receive legal advice on the spot in the structures of the Ministry of Interior, said Natalia Ilieva. 

According to the NLAB data, 324 people have so far received consultations under this mechanism, with 66 in 2023, of whom three are men, 139 in 2024, of whom 10 are men, and 119 in 2025 so far, of whom 12 are men.

In my opinion, saving even just one human life is already a success. The times when the victims were silent are gone. More and more people are gathering strength and standing up to the abuser. And this happened because in recent years the state has clearly stated its will to deal with domestic violence, said the chairwoman of the NLAB Natalia Ilieva.

She noted that only people who do not have an income to use contractual legal protection fall within the scope of the Legal Aid Act. These are people who live on incomes below the poverty line or receive benefits.

To the question of whether it is time to pay even more serious attention, legislatively, to psychological violence - at home, at work, Natalia Ilieva pointed out that anyone who meets the conditions for receiving legal aid can apply directly to the NLAB, can receive consultation in a Regional Counseling Center and then submit the application through the center.

Of course, in urgent cases, according to a decision taken by the NLAB and in connection with the memorandum concluded with the Ministry of Interior, to which we joined the Agency for Social Assistance and the Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria this year, consultations can also be provided on the spot where the injured person is, as I said in the structures of the Ministry of Interior, but also in crisis centers, hospitals and other institutions that are related to the protection of these people, Ilieva said.

She specified that the regional counseling centers have been built to the bar associations in the country and are already 25 in number.

In connection with the actions of the state in support of people who have suffered from domestic violence, the chairwoman of the NLAB Natalia Ilieva recalled that last week the Council of Ministers adopted a coordination mechanism for the protection of these people, which is regulated in the Law for Protection from Domestic Violence. We expect it to contribute to improving the coordination between the institutions involved in the protection of these people, she added.