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Ivan Petkov

Last week’s crime news attracted our attention with two shocking events that involved Bulgarians. The first case was connected with the murder of a 65 year-old man found in a freezer, the main suspect being a 45-year-old Bulgarian woman. The second recent case was of an 18-year-old disabled girl raped by two Bulgarians. On this occasion, we asked, "Why are Bulgarians so often involved in criminal cases in Greece?" The poll raised the spirits and provoked numerous comments on social networks.

The majority of readers of GRReporter's Bulgarian page, namely 54%, respond that too many Bulgarians are living in Greece and naturally, there are criminals among them. The second most popular answer with 30% of the readers' votes is that crime rate in Bulgaria is very high, being the same among Bulgarians abroad. 9% goes for the view according to which those cases are the result of school violence. 7% of respondents say that living in a foreign country is a prerequisite to more easily becoming a target of violence or to start breaking the law.

We will note two trends in the comments that make an impression. The first is that many of our readers focus on the Roma origin of the perpetrators in the case of the disabled girl raped and the second is linked to the feeling of inferiority that "Bulgarians are not worthy as people."

Readers of the English-language page of our website also support the thesis of the natural presence of criminals in a large community, such as that of Bulgarians in Greece. This option is supported by a smaller number of readers or 42%. However, 39% of readers believe that the high crime rate in Bulgaria transfers abroad and 19% that migrants easily become targets of violence but are more prone to violence as well. No reader considers propensity to aggression a result of school violence.

The Greek-speaking readers of our website form the highest percentage of readers who agree that along with the ordinary and decent citizens who are part of a foreign community, there is some percentage of criminals. This option is the preference of 60% of respondents. The following two options are supported by 16% each: the first is that the high crime rate in Bulgaria transfers to Bulgarian communities abroad and the second is that in a foreign country it is easier to become a target of violence but also to manifest violence. 8% attribute to school violence the involvement of Bulgarians in Greece in criminal cases.

Our latest poll is associated with a political issue, asking you: "Will New Democracy new leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis succeed in changing the political landscape of Greece?" We await your comments on the topic.