Bulgarian Ministry Moves to Take Over Campus Area after Latest Murder

Bulgarian Education Minister Sergey Ignatov believes his Ministry has to step in and impose tougher discipline in dormitories after the latest tragic accident. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's Education Ministry has decided to step in and manage Sofia's College Town, the country's largest university campus area, after the latest murder that took place there.

The measure is provoked by the murder of a 19-year-old college student in the campus district overnight Wednesday. Mario Danchev, 19, from the western city of Pernik, was murdered in a brawl in dormitory 19, where he lived with his twin brother Martin.

Currently, only 2 of the 50 dormitories in College Town are managed by the state-owned Student Canteens and Hostels, while the others are managed by the universities, Bulgarian Education Minister Sergey Ignatov explained on Wednesday.

Ignatov revealed that a closing time may be introduced for dormitories in order to prevent violent accidents.

Earlier on Wednesday, Bulgaria's Interior Minister also stated that a tighter control should be imposed on the dormitories.

"We cannot put a police officer in each dormitory, on each dormitory floor, in order to prevent students from being drunk," Tsvetanov pointed out. He added that 6 out of a total of 7 accidents that were reported to Sofia's police forces on February 14 were from Student Town (February 14 is celebrated as a wine holiday in Bulgaria besides being Valentine's Day).

Sofia's College Town district is notorious for frequent fights, triggered by alcohol binging.

20-year-old pharmacy student Stoyan Baltov died on December 5, 2008 after sustaining severe head trauma and skull fracture from a beating in front of the "Amnesia" disco club in the district.

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