The social services worked with the family of one of the minors detained in connection with the murder in Plovdiv even before the tragedy after information about him was received. This was announced by the Minister of Labor and Social Policy Natalia Efremova.
„As far as I am informed, information was indeed submitted for one of the children and the family was worked with a month - a month and a half ago. This is all I can say on the subject“, said Efremova in response to a question about the information from the Social Assistance Agency that there had been a previous signal regarding one of the minors.
The Social Minister commented that the extreme cruelty of the crime is a clear sign of the need for additional measures to prevent violence among children. According to her, no institution or system can cope with the problem on its own.
„This is a clear signal that additional measures are required, which we must all take together as a society. No system can cope on its own“, emphasized Efremova.
Greater focus on child perpetrators of violence
The minister recalled that Bulgaria has a National Program for the Prevention of Violence and Abuse of Children, the implementation of which ends at the end of this year. It is planned to be extended with a new period of action from 2027 to 2030.
Efremova explained that so far most of the efforts of the social system have been directed at children who are victims of violence. After the incident in Plovdiv, prevention is to be expanded and place a greater emphasis on children who themselves exhibit violence.
„Until now, the greater focus in our work has usually been on children who are victims of violence, rather than on perpetrators. Our work on preventive measures will from now on be more focused, so that we can cover the entire spectrum of possible manifestations by and against children“, the minister said.
This was one of the main issues discussed at the initial interdepartmental meeting after the tragedy. Efremova stressed that the country has a wide network of social services in the community, through which it is possible to work with both children and their families.
According to her, social services have been informed about what happened in Plovdiv and are already working on the ground. The families and parents of the detained children are being referred to social services, including work with psychologists.
According to her, the goal is both to prevent such events and, after a difficult situation has already occurred, to work so that it does not happen again. The minister described the tragedy as indicative of serious problems in society.
“Such tragedies are extremely indicative of how far our society has come and how sick it actually is“, she said.
Work is also being done with the detainees' environment
When asked whether the institutions check the family and school environment of the minors – including whether they have siblings and whether they will work with their classmates - Efremova explained that the actions are coordinated between the various institutions.
„We work together first of all with the services of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in coordination with all other services, including social ones, so that everyone can, within their competence, help both the families and the children who surround this group of children“, she said.
The school authorities are also involved in the work, and each of the institutions must take the actions that fall within its powers.
Efremova to parents: Check what applications your children use
The Minister of Social Affairs also made a special appeal to all parents in the country to monitor their children's behavior on the Internet more carefully. „Please check the applications that your children use. Set limits on the time your children spend working and using the various forms and applications on the Internet“, Efremova urged.
According to her, serious work lies ahead to inform parents and educate children about the dangers of the Internet. However, family control is one of the first measures that can be taken immediately.
Considering restrictions on social networks for minors
Among the options discussed by the institutions after the murder are possible restrictions on the use of social networks by minors. „We discussed all kinds of similar measures, of course, including restrictions on social networks. We discussed the experience of other European Union member states and outside the European Union that are introducing such measures“, Efremova said.
However, she warned that a ban alone will not solve the problem. “You know, a ban alone is sometimes not enough“, the minister stressed.