Since the beginning of the year, the Sofia Police Directorate has identified 28 cases of so-called local gangs - groups of people dressed in black, some of them with masks and knives, batons and sprays, who walk around the center of Sofia - specifically around the National Theater, the "Crystal" garden and the fountains of the National Palace of Culture. These are people aged 14 to 19, who sometimes attack mainly boys of the same age in the dark of the day. This was stated by the director of the State Department of Internal Affairs Lyubomir Nikolov, quoted by Nova TV.
He indicated that 24 people have been detained in these cases, pre-trial proceedings have been initiated when the Law allows. And he explained that for all identified minors and juveniles, against whom pre-trial proceedings cannot be initiated, together with the Sofia Municipality, the Children's Pedagogical Room and other institutions, they find a way to re-educate them.
He emphasized that the people who participate in such groups have well-off parents, which is evidenced by the branded clothing.
“In a very small percentage of these cases, it is a serious criminal offense. Rather, they inflict minor bodily harm on the victims or take some insignificant amount of money from them”, Nikolov said.
He also pointed out that parents are generally also subject to sanctions. And he appealed to watch their children and strictly monitor the time they get home.
In the case of the beating of a young man at the “Gorna Banya” metro station, he explained that the perpetrators could not be identified. And he emphasized that they had notified “Metropolitan” about the construction of a video surveillance system.
The head of the First District Administration in Sofia, Ivo Zahariev, said that “the capital is a safe place, the fact that there are incidents does not mean that it is chronic and there is a trend”.
He pointed out that the actions of the “locals” are not carried out for the purpose of material gain, but for affirmation in the relevant groups of which they are members. He added that among them there are different categories of people, including fans of football teams.
Zahariev also provided more information on the specific case of the attack in the garden in front of the National Theater. At 4 a.m. on May 6, an attempted robbery was committed in the area of the garden of the National Theater in the capital. Four young people were attacked by another group of young people, and the attack was carried out with extreme audacity and cynicism, despite the fact that the area is illuminated and there are many cameras. One of the attackers pulled out a knife, made a threat, and another person struck one of the victims in the head. The police were notified by random citizens. Three of the attackers were detained. The fourth perpetrator fled, but was later detained. He is a minor and has been registered with the police for numerous such acts. He has been charged and is being held in custody.
The Ministry of Education and Science has sent a position statement regarding the "locals"
"To date, the Ministry of Education and Science has not received any signals from the Regional Departments of Education or from citizens about groups defined as "locals". In the event of such, the Ministry is ready to assist both schools and students, as well as the judicial authorities. In partnership with other ministries and organizations, the Ministry of Education and Science is purposefully working to achieve a safe environment for children and students, as a means of preventing violence and bullying at school.
We have taken steps to provide more and more opportunities for the appointment of psychologists and pedagogical counselors in educational institutions. This policy is yielding results, as a result of which the number of psychologists and pedagogical counselors appointed in kindergartens and schools is constantly increasing – currently, psychologists have been appointed - 1603 psychologists and 778 pedagogical advisors. (As of the 2022/2023 academic year, there were 1380 psychologists).
For the first year, the National Program “No Aggression for a Safe Educational Environment“ is being implemented, aimed at creating a safe school environment as a comprehensive approach to improving relationships at school and achieving mental well-being among children and students. The modules of the program will include 2,803 children from kindergartens, 320 teachers and 2,550 parents, as well as 13,606 students, 1,350 teachers and 5,900 parents. The activities under this program are largely aimed at working with students and parents to prevent aggressive behavior, addictions and other negative phenomena in order to raise awareness among students and parents and create a positive educational environment. The Ministry of Education and Science plans to introduce module 3 in the National Program “No Aggression for a Safe Educational Environment“, related to the development of social-emotional learning among students in grades I-IV."