Three Parliamentary Groups Table Bills to Increase Protection Against Domestic Violence

Sofia, Aug 1 (BTA/GNA) – Three Parliamentary Groups Table Bills to Increase Protection Against Domestic Violence
The parliamentary groups of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), GERB-UDF and Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) tabled two bills to increase protection against domestic violence through tougher penalties, MRF said on Tuesday.

The bills were tabled following consecutive cases of violence against women, the most infamous of which is the assault on 18-year-old girl from Stara Zagora. It took place at the end of June, but the case gained widespread publicity only a few days ago.

The first bill envisages amendments to the Penal Code increasing the penalties for causing minor and medium bodily injuries. If adopted, it would mean that a person who inflicts on another medium bodily injury will be punished by imprisonment for up to eight years and not six, as Article 129 of the Penal Code reads now.

MRF, GERB-UDF and CC-DB propose the possibility of imposing probation for causing minor bodily injury to be removed from Article 130 of the Penal Code. The penalty is imprisonment for up to two years. The fine should be increased from BGN 500 to 1000. It currently stands at BGN 100 to 300, they recalled.

The amendments envisage domestic violence to be punished not only in cases of marriage or cohabitation, but also when there is an intimate relationship.

Another change is also envisaged – any person who is related by consanguinity or affinity up to and including the fourth degree to the person with whom he is or has been in an intimate relationship may seek protection under the law.

The proposed amendments to the Protection against Domestic Violence Act broaden the range of persons who fall under its protection, thereby filling a gap with respect to a significant group of persons who are in an intimate de facto relationship, regardless of whether they share a household, the sponsors further noted.

The three parliamentary groups expect an extraordinary sitting of the National Assembly to be scheduled to debate on the bills. The Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs will hold a sitting Thursday tо revise the texts. The National Assembly’s extraordinary sitting is expected to take place on August 7.

BTA/GNA

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