Sofia Takes Action After Mentally Ill Attacker Targets Women and Children

Following a series of attacks in the central Sofia neighborhood of Oborishte, urgent actions are being taken to address the issue of mentally ill individuals causing harm to the public, OFFNews reported. The most recent incidents, reported last week, involved attacks primarily targeting women and children. These are just the incidents that have been officially reported to the police, but locals have come together to form a working group aiming to amend laws governing the care of mentally ill individuals, as reported by bTV.

One of the victims was Hristo's wife, who described an unsettling encounter. While dropping off their child at daycare, she was approached by a man on the sidewalk who verbally threatened her with death, saying he would "disembowel" her. Frightened, she jumped onto the road and managed to escape. She immediately called emergency services, but by the time the patrol arrived, the attacker had vanished.

Hristo and his wife later filed a complaint at the district office, providing a description of the attacker. A week later, the police identified the man, arrested him, and took him to a mental institution, where his mental health is being evaluated.

In response to these attacks, the local community has come together, forming a group under the leadership of Oborishte's mayor, Milena Alexieva. The group is seeking to address the gaps in the country's mental health care system, particularly the rapid release of mentally ill detainees. According to Hristo, there are not enough places in mental health institutions, and patients are often released shortly after being admitted, creating a potential danger to the public.

Alexieva has proposed involving experts, including lawyers, psychologists, and psychiatrists, to...