If you have seen violence

Domestic violence and gender-based violence are widespread in Bulgaria. In many cases, they do not remain hidden. There are many of us who have heard scandals, witnessed such incidents or know about them in our own family or among relatives and friends, neighbors, colleagues, classmates or fellow students.

Unfortunately, very often we do not know how to react and whether it is more correct to intervene or not. Even when we want to help, and our help is desired, we do not always know exactly how and what is best to do in a given situation.

Below we present you with some useful advice from experts on what you can do in different situations.

If physical violence, a scandal, accompanied by insults and especially threats is taking place in front of you

• Call 112, and after reporting to 112, expect and accept the call from a police officer;
• try help the victim, if this will not endanger your health and life or that of others, including the victim;
• if possible, make a video/audio recording of the incident;
• call other people to the scene;
• write down the license plate numbers of the perpetrator and/or the victim (if any);
• remain on the scene until the police arrive and provide them with your contact details (they may ask you to provide written information on the scene);
• in addition, file a report with the relevant district prosecutor's office, including through the prosecutor's office website (anonymous reports are not considered);
• be prepared to give testimony – before an investigative body, as well as before a court.

• call 112, after receiving the signal, expect and accept the call from a police officer;
• call other people; if, depending on the intensity of the situation, try to intervene – if this will not endanger you, the people around you, the victim;
• provide access to the police officers if the entrance door to the block is locked;
• stay on site and provide your details to the police officers (it is possible that they will ask you to provide written information on the spot);
• additionally file a written report with the relevant regional prosecutor's office, including through the PRB website (anonymous reports are not considered);
• be prepared to give testimony – before an investigative body, as well as before a court.

If the victim of domestic violence is a child, in the immediate commission of violence

• follow the above steps;
• submit an additional report to the “Child Protection“ department here (in case of child abuse, social services are obliged to consider anonymous reports).