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Latest items for Bulgaria

July 13, 2026, 8:11 p.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: MURDER-LAW-1

"There is no definition of femicide in the Bulgarian Criminal Code. However, this type of offence may fall under other provisions of Bulgarian criminal law. The relevant articles for identifying femicide cases are, inter alia, Articles 115, 116, 118 and 124" (1).
July 13, 2026, 7:48 p.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: MURDER-DATA-1

"Women’s rights organizations reported at least 24 femicides in the context of domestic violence. The Ministry of Interior confirmed a steady upward trend in reported cases" (para 11).
July 8, 2026, 6:44 p.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: SUICIDE-DATA-4

"According to the table on countryeconomy.com, male suicide rate in Bulgaria between 2020 and 2023 were at 11.13 to 13.81 per 100,000 men over the same period, and an overall national suicide rate ranging from 6.67 to 8.47 per 100,000 population" (Table published on countryeconomy.com).
July 8, 2026, 6:44 p.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: SUICIDE-DATA-3

"According to the table on countryeconomy.com, Bulgaria's female suicide rate ranged from 2.47 to 3.58 per 100,000 women between 2020 and 2023 — with 124 female suicides recorded in 2020 (rate 3.44), 126 in 2021 (rate 3.58), 84 in 2022 (rate 2.47), and 108 in 2023 (rate 3.23)..." (Table published on countryeconomy.com).
July 8, 2026, 6:44 p.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: SUICIDE-DATA-1

"Of the 452 recorded suicide cases in 2023, 344 were men suicides and 108 were women. So that, the suicide rate among males were 11.13 per 100,000 men and for women 3.23 per 100,000 female" (para 3).
July 1, 2026, 5:49 p.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: GEW-PRACTICE-1

For the timeframe 2020 to present, no evidence was found that the Bulgarian government, military, police, or any subnational armed groups accept or use rape, kidnapping, trafficking, or forced labor of women and girls as weapons of war. Bulgaria has not been experiencing an internal or international armed conflict during this period, and no rebel movements, rebel armies, or militias were found to be using rape or kidnapping as a tactic against the government. Bulgaria’s Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan 2020–2025 instead emphasizes the protection of women and girls during armed conflict, prevention of violence against women and girls, and prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse. No evidence...more
July 1, 2026, 5:46 p.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: GEW-DATA-1

For the timeframe 2020 to present, there is little to no potential for wartime rape or conflict-related sexual assault against women and girls in Bulgaria, as the country has not been experiencing an internal or international armed conflict during this period. No evidence was found that the Bulgarian government, military, police, rebel groups, militias, or other subnational armed groups have used rape, kidnapping, trafficking, or sexual assault against women and girls as a weapon of war. Existing reports on Bulgaria discuss general gender-based violence, domestic violence, trafficking, and police abuse concerns, but these are not documented as wartime or conflict-related crimes. Therefore, no cases of wartime rape/assault against Bulgarian women...more
July 1, 2026, 5:36 p.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: GEW-LAW-1

"Section IV Kidnapping and Unlawful imprisonment (Title amended, SG No. 50/1995) Article 142 (New, SG No. 50/1995) (1) (Amended and supplemented, SG No. 92/2002, amended, SG No. 27/2009, SG No. 26/2010) A person who kidnaps another person sha l be punished by imprisonment from three to ten years. (2) (Amended, SG No. 26/2010) The punishment shal be imprisonment from seven to fifteen years if: 1. the perpetrator has been armed; 2. the act has been committed by two or more persons; 3. (amended, SG No. 62/1997) the kidnapped person has been a pregnant woman or under 18 years of age; 4. the kidnapped person has been entitled to international protection;...more
June 30, 2026, 7:22 p.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: EWCMS-PRACTICE-3

"Female military personnel are less likely than men to leave the military profession. The bad thing is that the comparative analysis of the Ministry of Defense formulates a conclusion that the processes in Bulgarian society of a significant increase in manifestations of aggressive behavior and violence, in all its forms, are mirrored in the military and civilian employees of the defense system of the Republic of Bulgaria" (para 6). This information, by mentioning the increase of aggressive behavior and violence in the Bulgarian military, could indicate a discouraging practice or factor when it comes to women stepping forward to report rape/sexual assault, especially since they are less likely to leave...more
June 30, 2026, 7:22 p.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: EWCMS-DATA-3

"The data indicated in the report adopted by the Council of Ministers, on page 75, refer only to received reports, and are not actual cases of sexual harassment, sexual psychological violence and sexual physical violence ( including rape and attempted rape ) . Both in 2022 and in 2023, the reports received did not contain cases of proven crime ( rape ) . There are no court cases filed, which confirms the thesis that there are actually no such cases" (para 4).
June 30, 2026, 6:49 p.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: EWCMS-PRACTICE-3

"The Ministry of Defense is actively working to establish mechanisms for reporting these issues. Its official website lists contacts for reporting complaints, which can be sent directly to the administration. There is also a practice for female servicemen to file informal complaints through the Association of Women Servicemen (ASW)" (para 7-8). "The Ministry of Defense thus participates in projects to raise awareness about domestic violence, seeking to support victims through various programs and training. Together with the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) and other organizations, five women – three military personnel and two administrative employees – were trained, aiming to improve victim identification and provide support" (para 11-12).more
June 30, 2026, 6:49 p.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: EWCMS-DATA-2

"In 2023, the Bulgarian army was faced with a serious problem that had remained in the shadows until now – sexual harassment and psychological violence against female military personnel. This is clear from the Report on the Equality of Men and Women, prepared by the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy for this period. Until now, the military has insisted that it is working to promote gender equality, but the extent of the discrimination problem has been unclear. This year, however, the situation has changed - the army has openly admitted that sexual and psychological violence against women in uniform is a reality. According to official data from the Ministry...more
June 30, 2026, 6:31 p.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: EWCMS-DATA-2

"Last year alone, 9 women who work for the army or are partners of military personnel complained of sexual harassment. Another 7 reported sexual psychological violence, and 22 reported sexual physical violence (including rape or attempted rape). This is according to statistics provided by the Ministry of Defense (MOD) in the 2023 Gender Equality Report, "24 Chasa" writes in its analysis" (para 2).
June 30, 2026, 6:13 p.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: EWCMS-LAW-5

"Article 152 (1) A person who has sexual intercourse with a person of the female sex: 1. who is deprived of the possibility of self-defence, and without her consent; 2. by compeling her thereto by force or threat; 3. by reducing her to a state of helplessness sha l be punished for rape by imprisonment for two to eight years. sha l be punished for rape by imprisonment for two to eight years. (2) For rape the punishment shal be imprisonment for three to ten years: 1. (amended, SG No. 92/2002) if the raped woman has not completed eighteen years of age; 2. if she is a relative of descending...more
June 27, 2026, 11:19 a.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: LRCM-PRACTICE-1, LRCM-LAW-2

"There was no specific criminal law against spousal rape and domestic or intimate partner rape, so-called corrective rape of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex (LGBTQI+) persons, or the rape of men; authorities could prosecute spousal rape under the general rape statute, but rarely did so" (27).
June 10, 2026, 11:04 p.m.
Countries: Afghanistan, Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma/Myanmar, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Rep, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Cote D'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, D R Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Togo, Trinidad/Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Variables: LRW-LAW-4

Given the following documentation, there is no exoneration in the law allowing an individual accused of rape to have their criminal charges dismissed or overturned by subsequently marrying the victim. However, it should be noted that this only accounts for the legal framework and now what societal pressures may be in practice (ERD - CODER COMMENT).more
June 1, 2026, 8:31 p.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: LRW-PRACTICE-1

"Rape and Domestic Violence: The law criminalized rape of women, and authorities generally enforced the law when violations came to their attention. Sentences for rape convictions ranged up to 20 years in prison. There was no specific criminal law against spousal rape and domestic or intimate partner rape, so-called corrective rape of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex (LGBTQI+) persons, or the rape of men; authorities could prosecute spousal rape under the general rape statute, but rarely did so" (27).
March 25, 2026, 9:57 a.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: LRCM-LAW-2

"This may have something to do with the fact that in Bulgaria while rape is illegal, date rape and marital rape are not, and further, Bulgarian law states that victims of violence must prove that the violence has occurred a minimum of three times before officials will open a criminal investigation (Kassova, 2021; Meurens, et al., 2020)" "Marital rape is still not a crime in the Bulgarian Criminal Code as of 2022 (Vassileva, 2021; Bulgarian Criminal Code, 2022)"
March 25, 2026, 9:57 a.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: LRCM-DATA-1

"That the laws for domestic violence were removed, is disappointing and should be addressed, specifically as NGO reported numbers for marital rape are significant, even while minimally recorded in the percentage of calls to the national hotline for domestic violence. March 2020 fielded eighty calls alone. Data is difficult to find, as it is estimated that 70-80% of cases go unreported (WHO, 2023)"
March 25, 2026, 9:57 a.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: LRCM-PRACTICE-1

"Current policies surrounding rape are ineffective, both on a state level and internationally. There are no agreed upon definitions of rape, the international laws and enforcement frameworks to prevent or prosecute rape don’t really exist, local governments don’t always have the ability, want, or stability to enact laws to stop rape, and local custom often don’t recognize rape as a crime to begin with. Both Argentina and Bulgaria have neglected noting that all forms of rape are a crime, need to expand rape laws, make it easier for victims to file reports, and need to make it more likely that prosecutors will file charges for the crime of rape, including...more
Feb. 12, 2026, 3:52 a.m.
Countries: Armenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Comoros, Cuba, Djibouti, Georgia, Israel, Kosovo, Macedonia, Mauritania, Montenegro, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Singapore
Variables: DV-SCALE-1

0
Jan. 29, 2026, 9:44 p.m.
Countries: Albania, Armenia, Bahamas, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Greece, Guyana, Honduras, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malta, Mauritius, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam
Variables: LO-SCALE-3

1
Jan. 29, 2026, 9:43 p.m.
Countries: Albania, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Greece, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Thailand, Trinidad/Tobago, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zimbabwe
Variables: LO-SCALE-2

0more
Jan. 29, 2026, 9:38 p.m.
Countries: Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Greece, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Laos, Libya, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Nicaragua, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen
Variables: LO-SCALE-1

1
Jan. 20, 2026, 1:13 a.m.
Countries: Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Mozambique, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Uzbekistan
Variables: ABO-SCALE-1

1
Dec. 28, 2025, 9:06 a.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: LRW-DATA-1

The chart in the UNODC Data Portal titled, "Violent Crime & Sexual Violence," shows that the rate of reported rapes in Bulgaria in 2023 was 1.10 per 100,000 population, and the rate of reported sexual assaults was 8.08 per 100,000.
Dec. 10, 2025, 12:51 p.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: DV-DATA-1

According to Annex 10, "National prevalence estimates of lifetime and past-12-months physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence against women aged 15-49 years, 2023" the average lifetime point estimate % for Bulgaria in 2023 was 7.8%.
Nov. 15, 2025, 9:31 a.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: ABO-LAW-1

"In Bulgaria, abortion at will was legalized in 1956, and the conditions under which it was permitted have undergone a number of changes over the years. Nowadays, abortion at will is regulated by Ordinance No. 2 of 01.02.1990, and the latest amendments and supplements to the ordinance were published in the State Gazette of 31.10.2000 (para 2). "According to Bulgarian legislation, voluntary termination of pregnancy is possible up to 12 weeks of gestation from the first day of the last regular menstruation (3 months). It is a medical intervention that is not financed by the National Health Insurance Fund, but is paid by the patient at a rate announced by...more
Nov. 3, 2025, 1:49 p.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: ABO-LAW-1

The Center for Reproductive Rights states that Bulgaria's laws permit abortion on request, with a 12 week gestational limit.
Sept. 5, 2025, 12:12 p.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: ABO-LAW-1

"Abortion on request is legal in...Bulgaria…" (2). The Table titled “European Abortion Laws: A Comparative Overview” shows that in Albania abortion is available for socio-economic reasons, threat to life/medical reasons, threat to health/medical reasons, and sexual violence reasons on request with a waiting period and mandatory counselling. In Andorra abortion is completely banned. In Armenia abortion is available for socio-economic reasons, threat to life/medical reasons, and threat to health/medical reasons on request with a waiting period and mandatory counselling. In Austria abortion is available for threat to life/medical reasons and threat to health/medical reasons on request. In Azerbaijan abortion is available for socio-economic reasons, threat to life/medical reasons, and threat...more