Sofia Kindergarten Staff Face Penalties After Children Escape and Ride the Metro

Two children who left a Sofia kindergarten unsupervised have been safely located, and the staff involved will face administrative sanctions. The incident took place at "Zvanche" kindergarten in the Hadji Dimitar district. The children, a five-year-old boy and a seven-year-old girl, were discovered by police near a traffic light several kilometers away, having reportedly traveled on the Sofia metro.

Desislava Zhelyazkova, head of the Education Directorate at Sofia Municipality, confirmed that the penalties will be issued by the kindergarten's director. According to her, the children had been in the yard after breakfast under the supervision of a teacher and an assistant. At some point, the older child managed to open a door using a button, and the pair slipped away unnoticed.

Instead of immediately informing the director or the local authorities, the supervising staff searched for the children themselves for about 45 minutes. Only afterward did they alert the kindergarten director, who was not on site at the time. Notification of the district administration came even later. Once the police were informed, the children were found quickly.

Further investigation revealed that the seven-year-old girl may have led the escape, allegedly wanting to take the younger boy to her home. The incident raised concerns about procedural lapses in response and supervision.

Zhelyazkova stated that the kindergarten is now required to submit a full report with written explanations. In response to the case, the Sofia Municipality plans to inspect all kindergartens in the capital before the end of the summer, with the goal of recommending and implementing improved safety measures for children.