A brutal murder shook the small Balkan town of Tryavna yesterday afternoon. 21-year-old Irina Dimitrova, a mother of three minor children, was deliberately killed with numerous stab wounds all over her body, the Gabrovo District Prosecutor's Office, which is leading the investigation into the case, announced.
The crime was committed at around 5:00 p.m. on March 21, 2025, when the young woman went shopping. According to witnesses, her ex-boyfriend - a 23-year-old man who is also the father of one of her children - attacked her and began to inflict numerous stab wounds all over her body. The attack took place in a busy place, in the presence of many citizens, but no one intervened to prevent the tragedy.
The prosecutor's office confirmed that the perpetrator has been detained. After killing Irina, he tried to commit suicide with the same knife, but he was provided with timely medical assistance. He is currently in a hospital and is in a life-threatening condition.
"There were many people outside - neighbors, but no one intervened! I have filed complaints with the police, with the prosecutor, there is a restraining order, he is hiding, he is threatening, he threatened me that he would stab me,", Diana Dimitrova, the victim's mother, told bTV.
The words of the mother of the murdered woman raise serious questions about the effectiveness of the system for protecting victims of domestic violence. Despite the restraining order issued and numerous reports to the police and prosecutor's office, the institutions were unable to prevent the fatal outcome.
A pre-trial investigation was immediately initiated into the case. The prosecutor's office stated that as soon as the detainee's condition allows, they will request that he remain in custody.
The investigation is continuing, and it is expected that all witnesses to the murder will be questioned and the circumstances surrounding the repeated reports of threats made by the perpetrator to the victim and her family will be clarified.