There is a 30 percent increase in cases of domestic violence seeking help compared to last year. Among them are not only women, but also children, men and families, according to the data of the “Animus” foundation. A woman endured the abuser at home for years and managed to escape, but the harassment did not stop, Nova TV reports.
We will call her Dimitrina. For 5 years, she suffered the blows of the man with whom she lives.
"We traveled to Pernik, to a gathering, to a party. When we were going home in the car. He exploded and started hitting me. There was almost an accident, we went off the road, but we got the car under control. I left when I mustered up the courage and felt strong. When we were two. I already had a child with him. After seeing how he can hit me, he can also hit the child," she says.
She manages to leave him after he threatens her with a knife.
"When he threatened me with a knife, I was convinced he would have used it if I hadn't run away. I grabbed the child and left. Barefoot. No money. Without a bag," the woman recalls.
And despite the intervention of the institutions in Dimitrina's case, threats to her and her family continue.
"He said he was going to kill us. There were threats that they would find me. Some time ago there was a case where a mother and a child were killed by the father. When she told me about this incident, many of my girlfriends called me and said, "I immediately thought of you,", she continued.
"The problem is that some rules are still new. The institutions do not quite know how to react. If the women are sufficiently informed, then an order for immediate sewing can be very easily taken within 24 hours," said the psychotherapist from the "Animus" foundation: Maria Chomarova.
The common child of Dimitrina and the abuser has an immediate protection order. They don't give it to her.
"On a beautiful day when she was at school. Father had allowed himself to come in and disturb her peace. He had physically reached for her. It turns out that even if you have an immediate protection order or a restraining order, you have to file a separate case for each incident. And during this time, these things repeat themselves and the harassment continues," the woman explains.
From the “Animus” explain that there is no policy to protect people's mental health. "The explanation is that the mental health of the population is deteriorating. And people react much more to their aggressive impulses," adds Chomarova.
The Foundation can also provide legal assistance to those who seek it.