Ventsislava Tafkova voiced her strong reaction following the brutal killing of the dog Knopa in the capital’s Krastova Vada district by an aggressor.
Miss Bulgaria 2020 said that the institutions cannot hide behind a lack of powers and called for a clear response from the state.
“The state has no right not to have an answer,” Tafkova wrote indignantly. She pointed out that the case had shaken her because she also has a Yorkshire terrier.
The beauty queen nevertheless expressed hope, prompted by the strong public reaction and the protest that was organized in front of the perpetrator’s home.
Knopa was a 9-year-old Yorkshire terrier weighing around 3 kilograms. According to the Sofia District Prosecutor’s Office, on November 1 at around 8:50 p.m., the dog was kicked violently and subsequently died on the spot. A 43-year-old man has been charged in connection with the case. The charge concerns particular cruelty toward a vertebrate animal, resulting in its unlawful death.
The investigation concerns a crime under Article 325b of the Criminal Code, for which the law provides for two to eight years’ imprisonment. Witnesses have been questioned so far, identifications have been carried out, and a video-technical examination of footage from security cameras has been prepared, the prosecutor’s office said.
The accused remains in custody
The man appeared at the Sofia Directorate of the Ministry of Interior on November 3, accompanied by a lawyer. He was initially detained for up to 72 hours, after which the Sofia District Court imposed the most severe measure of remand – “detention in custody.” The ruling is not final and is subject to appeal.
The case prompted a civic reaction. On November 4, a protest was held in front of the National Assembly under the slogan “Justice for Knopa,” with participants calling for fair sentences and more effective action against violence toward animals. According to the Bulgarian National Radio, between 400 and 500 people took part in the demonstration.
Tafkova said that individual institutions may have different powers, but this does not absolve the state of its responsibility to respond. “It is not within my powers” should not become an excuse, she said.