For the first six months of 2023, 1,950 orders for protection from violence have been issued in Bulgaria. Their share is the highest in the regions of Veliko Tarnovo, Silistra and Razgrad, according to data from the General Directorate of the National Police, quoted by BTA. 

The data also show that there has been a 40% rise inthe number of pre-trial proceedings for crimes committed in the context of domestic violence. For the first six months of the year, they were 596, compared to 426 for the same period in 2022. 

According to Zornitsa Shumanova, the national coordinator of the Ministry of Interior on issues of domestic violence, the rise in the number of proceedings is due to the fact that people are much more willing to share about their problem and to ask for help.