Rights of victims of crime in criminal proceedings - Bulgaria
Please note that the original language version of this page 
has been amended recently. The language version you are now viewing is currently being prepared by our translators.
You will be considered a victim of crime if you have suffered damage, e.g. you have been injured or your property has been damaged or stolen, etc., as a result of an incident, which constitutes a crime according to national law. As a victim of crime, the law grants you certain individual rights before, during and after court proceedings (trial).
If you are a family member of a victim of a crime who has passed away, you will be able to exercise his/her rights only if you are his/her legal heir.
If you have suffered from one of a number of 
very serious crimes (1) you will be given some additional rights, regarding the assistance and compensation you can obtain. If you are a child, parent, spouse or cohabitant of a victim of one of those crimes and he/she has passed away as a result of that crime, you will be granted his/her additional rights.
Criminal proceedings in Bulgaria consist of investigation by the police, during which evidence is collected about the offence committed and about its alleged perpetrator. If enough evidence is collected, the case goes to trial. The trial concludes with the court convicting or acquitting the defendant and possible appeals before higher courts. The main objective is to assess who is responsible for committing a certain crime and, subsequently, to determine an appropriate penalty.
If you have suffered from one of a number of during the investigation of the crime, during the trial or after the first trial. Also, read more about the help and support you can get.
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Last update: 09/03/2020
