Residents of the Vratsa village of Sofronievo are preparing a protest over allegations of systematic harassment, threats and aggression by a 37-year-old fellow villager. People are demanding a more serious response from the institutions and are considering blocking the road to the Kozloduy NPP.
According to information provided by the police to bTV, four pre-trial proceedings have been initiated against the man - one for rape, one for assault and two for threats. The police have not specified the stage of the investigations. The initiation of pre-trial proceedings does not mean that guilt has been established.
Residents talk about attacks and telephone harassment
One of the residents claims that his conflict with his neighbor has been going on for about five years. According to him, the tension began after the man tried to involve his then 15-year-old son in drug distribution - an allegation that has not been confirmed by an independent source.
The resident says that at night his home was attacked with a hammer, an iron object and a large dog. “At three o'clock in the morning they came to attack our house with a hammer, an iron and a large dog”, he claims. He said that two of the family's cars were subsequently smashed, including the front and rear windows of one of the cars.
Another resident of Sofronievo claims that since May she has been subjected to constant telephone harassment and has received death threats against her and her child. She says that she has kept messages, photos of conversations and recordings. According to her, restraining orders have been issued and are being complied with, but the telephone harassment continues.
Another resident claims that he was threatened after he agreed to testify in a conflict between villagers. He states that charges were subsequently brought against him, which he found out about months later.
Mayor: People are afraid
The mayor of Sofronievo, Denitsa Dimitrova, states that she has also been the target of insults, and her relatives have received threats. She says she intends to file a civil lawsuit for insult and defamation.
“People are afraid“, Dimitrova says. According to her, some residents refuse to speak publicly out of fear for themselves and their families.
The mayor reports that residents are discussing a protest and a blockade of the road to the nuclear power plant. No specific date has been set for the protest actions yet. The police are continuing to work on the reports filed, and the final conclusions about possible liability must be made within the framework of the relevant proceedings.