Human rights organizations, including the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC), are calling on authorities to prosecute a Bulgarian man who, with the help of two friends, poured a can of paint over the head of his ex-girlfriend.

Nona Slavova suffered intense physical and emotional trauma as a result of the July 24 attack and required hospitalization for eye and skin problems. The attack was fueled by a sense of “male honor” and sought to publically humiliate Ms. Slavova. In addition to carrying out the attack on a public bench, one of the perpetrators filmed it on his phone and uploaded the video to Facebook.

This video, together with the hospital records of Ms. Slavova, her personal account of the attack and the history of physical abuse in their relationship, should be more than enough for the authorities to begin criminal action against the assailants.

As violence against women continues in Bulgaria – and the EU as a whole – it is imperative that these crimes be fully investigated and prosecuted. The motive for the assault on Ms. Slavova must be clearly exposed and any attempt to blame the victim must be dismissed by investigators and the judicial system.

According to a 2014 study by the Fundamental Rights Agency of the European Union, 28% of Bulgarian girls over the age of 15 are victims of violence, with 23% of them being physically or sexually abused by their partners. In 2013, the Council of Ministers adopted a special action plan for implementing the recommendations published in 2012 by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, but no further action was taken.

The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee also notes that Bulgaria is among the few countries in Europe that has neither signed nor ratified the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention).

Until we take action to combat prejudices and stereotypes against girls and women, until we fully criminalize domestic violence, until the Bulgarian courts stop interpreting acts of violence against women as issues "of emotional and philosophical nature,” and until we overcome the primitive attitude that the private life of women should be subject to strict control and judgment, we will never defeat this violence and never live in a truly free, fair and equal society. Until we do these things, the Bulgarian state will remain responsible for the violence against its citizens.