Bulgarian MPs Ask Tough Penalties in Crimes against Medics

Bulgaria's new Health Minister, Tanya Andreeva, is pleased with the updated legislation on attacks on medics. Photo by BGNES

The Bulgarian Members of the Parliament voted unanimously Thursday to increase sanctions for people attacking medical staff.

Four Bills with amendments to the Penalty Code were passed at first reading as each of the parliamentary represented parties submitted their own draft.

The Speaker of the Parliament, Mihail Mikov, informed the four projects had identical texts.

With the amendments, attacks against medics will prosecuted in the same manner as attacks, inflicting bodily harm, or murdering a judge, prosecutor, investigator, and police officer. The perpetrators of such crimes against medics will face the same punishment as in cases of attacks against individuals under special protection – 20 to 30 years of jail time, life with parole, and life without parole.

The amendments prepared by the far-right nationalist party Attaka call on adding teachers to this list as well.

The new Health Minister, Tanya Andreeva, said she was pleased with the updated legislation.

"I ask the police and all law enforcement authorities to adhere to these amendments so that we see results. There should be justice for Bulgarian citizens, not only for doctors and medical staff," she said.

The Bills were submitted amidst widespread outrage in Bulgaria following a recent severe beating of medics' team from the Emergency Unit in the Bulgarian capital Sofia and the increase of such incidents across the country.

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