Adults with Mental Illnesses in Serious Condition Are Being Kept Tied and Locked in Two Sites in the Stara Zagora Village of Yagoda. This was established during an inspection by the police and the prosecutor's office, and the data was presented by Justice Minister Georgi Georgiev at a briefing. He also showed photos of the horrific conditions in which the elderly were found to be residing, in sites that are known as "rooms for rent", Nova TV reports.
"In the last few weeks, several attempts by officials to conduct inspections in two sites in the village of Yagoda have been thwarted. These are not sites that provide health and social services. According to the owners, they are sites with rooms for rent - for 990 leva per month. The photos show the legs of an elderly person in serious condition being tied up. What will happen to it if a fire breaks out? The elderly people with various mental illnesses who were discovered are being kept locked up in both facilities," the minister revealed.
According to him, mass inspections have begun in nursing homes and hospices as part of the fight against the property mafia. "The reason is a series of discoveries of people in a helpless state who are disposing of their property. The Medical Supervision Agency and the Social Services Quality Agency have carried out over 100 inspections, during which various violations were found and four licenses were revoked. One of the inspected ones has given up its license, and a revocation procedure is in force for another of the establishments. Many others have been given prescriptions," Georgiev reported.
19 citizens were found in the first facility, and 56 in the other. “A total of 75 elderly people - someone's mothers and fathers, grandparents... They are being held, which violates all human rights. Some of the people were in serious health conditions, with 18 of them taken to hospital by ambulance. Two needed emergency medical care, eight were placed in different wards. Doctors and social workers cried when they left the facilities. Inside, people were seen tied up, drugged or under the influence of strong drugs. Blood tests are being performed on them to determine their content. The procedural and investigative actions on site continued until 4 am. Five people were arrested, inspections and searches were carried out, documentation was seized," the justice minister also announced.
Georgiev described them as "houses of horrors". "The doors were locked, the window handles were torn off from the inside, the hygienic conditions were disgusting, there was no bedding. Their phones were taken, they had no contact with the outside world, they had no ID cards. They were told that they would return their phones if their relatives came looking for them. There was no constant medical care - a doctor came only when someone died. People without qualifications injected drugs. One of the patients said that he had run away twice, but was returned back. There are 2-page contracts for rooms for rent. In order to circumvent the law, the landlords and owners thought that by changing the sign, institutions would not come for inspection. In the village of Yagoda, inspection teams were rudely sent away twice. No one has ever seen such horror. I thank the institutions for showing that no one is above the law. He who thinks he can do whatever he wants with living beings in Bulgaria is deeply mistaken. The full weight of the law will fall on anyone who thinks so," the minister summarized and called on relatives - "after you have settled your mothers and fathers, take an interest and check what is happening."
One of the police officers inspecting the sites, who has 30 years of experience, told investigators that he had only seen something like this in the Auschwitz museum. Over the past 4 years, over 2,090 inspections have been carried out, 240 licenses have been revoked. All people found in a helpless state are cared for around the clock. One woman burst into tears and did not want to cross the threshold. 27 citizens have been evacuated so far, only one of them has been taken home. The majority of families refused or were unable to receive their loved ones. 14 of them have been accommodated in the Home for the Disabled in Stara Zagora, four people have been accommodated in Kazanlak, and eight are in the hospital. The citizens found in the two sites had their money, personal belongings, and documents taken away.
Pre-trial proceedings have been initiated against the detained persons - for preventing state bodies from inspecting and attempting sabotage. The supervising prosecutor specified that during two searches, powers of attorney, rental contracts, copies of identity documents and for issuing bank cards were seized. Metal rings and textile belts with which the residents were tied were seized. 7 witnesses were questioned - all of them from the injured persons. Eight forensic medical examinations will be ordered, blood and urine were taken. This will also establish the type of bodily injuries. Many factual circumstances have been established, indicating that there is evidence of intentional crimes. The facility was locked 24/7, and all rooms at night. People could not seek the help they needed. Most of them were beaten, abused, tortured and insulted. In one facility, where 19 people - from 51 to 86 years old - were found, seriously ill and underweight patients were found. Five of the beds had belts with which the users of the service were tied. Among them was a cancer patient.
The man who tried to escape was beaten after he was returned, the authorities claim. Physical violence was a daily occurrence. Medications were given without the patients knowing what they were taking. Five criminal charges were committed. Pre-trial proceedings have been opened for them. One of the charges is for causing moderate bodily harm to 4 people in a particularly torturous manner. The second is for unlawful imprisonment of 6 people for 2 months. The others are for depriving them of the opportunity to self-preservation in a state of old age and illness, which put their lives at risk; for destroying other people's documents; for attempting to prevent state officials from performing their official duties. Two men were detained - one is the owner of the properties, and the second helped him control the activities at the sites. Three women were also arrested, who provided “anti-care” for the residents. They will be charged and permanent arrest will be requested for all five.
The Executive Director of the "Medical Supervision" Agency announced that people were found in pools of blood. "They were tied up, with serious illnesses. This so-called site was actually carrying out activities that fall within the scope of medical institutions. Patients were kept there illegally, and they were cared for by persons without medical education. Three of the residents have ileus (intestinal obstruction), which is a serious surgical condition. It provides for active hospital care. Three others are after a stroke - requiring prolonged treatment and rehabilitation. "There was not a single person in either facility who met the qualifications to provide treatment. Numerous medications were found, most of which contained fentanyl," emphasized Ivanka Dineva.