Britons living in Bulgaria. Guide to Bulgaria, Sofia and Varna

Bulgarian Citizens in Support of Truth


A society based on humanity and democracy. Another statement of Minister Maslarova: “I am convinced that wherever you go, you will find the same situation, because I know identical cases in European countries.” These are outrageous words which frighten with cynicism. Bad management in the field of social security, corruption in political life, lack of transparency in politics and the insensitivity to the reactions of civil society in Bulgaria are, however, a fact. The minister of social policy publicly tried to assert that “it is high time people understood that when adults or children have such severe mental disabilities, they cannot learn to talk or to read. The only respectable way to protect the honor and name of Bulgaria is for our state to take immediate action to resolve the problem of children in institutionalized care, to guarantee their future with both sound legislative changes and solid funding. There has been no result and the de-institutionalization of children continued to stall so that the jobs that these homes for children provide can be preserved. They simply do not have any competence for that. We do not believe that it is an attack on the culture, art or mentality of a peaceful, hard-working and civilized nation, which, in the turbulent years after the crash of communist regimes and dictatorships, turned into an example for ethnic tolerance in the Balkans. We have a psychologist [in Mogilino], but of course we do not have superb conditions, but anyway, this is all these children can achieve” (interview with InfoRadio, Sept. We hope that the screening of this documentary will initiate a wide discussion in Europe’s parliament, which in itself will pressure the Bulgarian government to take quick and effective action in regard to children in institutionalized care. We join the indignation with which Europe meets the result – the tragic fate of the children in Mogilino, filmed by Kate Blewett. We plead that the film be screened in the name of all 8600 children in institutions who, according to the last available projections, will be 10 000 by the end of the year. We want to declare our disagreement with the position that the just presentation of the problems of institutionalized children will injure Bulgaria’s prestige.