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Bulgaria: Football Player Beats Up a Model

Categories: Eastern & Central Europe, Bulgaria, Law, Media & Journalism, Sport, Women & Gender

Bulgaria is quite shocked at the news of a player for one of the country's biggest football clubs, CSKA, beating top model Kristin Vacheva.

Orlin Orlinov played for the Slavia team before joining CSKA. Slavia's coach said Orlinov had been causing problems in the past as well. Kristin Vacheva is a journalist and a top model, a famous person in Bulgaria. She was introduced to Orlin Orlinov at a night club in Sofia. On the night of March 20, she took Orlinov over to her home. And then he started beating her.

[…] “He dragged me to the floor. Everything was covered with blood […],”said Vacheva on bTV.

This case is making the tide of popular opinion in blogs and news sites in Bulgaria.

Blogger crossagency quoted from the story about the incident [1] [BG]:

[…] In the morning I couldn't breath, I told him: “Please, I need a doctor.” I saw the key and I ran away. At the moment I got to the car, he started ringing me, he wrote messages. He said if I didn't pick up my phone it would get worse. I said to him: “You are crazy” – and he said, “Yes, but there is nothing you can do.” […]

Another blogger, sisko871, wrote [2] [BG]:

[…] Katrin escaped from her torturer in the morning. “I decide to share, because there might be other girls who could make the same mistake and be battered by him the same way.” Orlinov admits that he has not raped Vacheva, but “just a little.” The prosecutor’s office is expected to charge the football player of CSKA for assault and battery. […]

Novinkata wrote [3] [BG]:

[…] The CSKA's forward Orlin Orlinov declared he had never hit model and reporter for TV MSAT Katrin Vacheva, who made a complaint about rape and battery. […]

Bulgarian blog Goli dumi posted a screenshot [4] of a discussion between the athlete's supporters [BG]:

The society is divided. Some think it is a serious problem and others think it's just PR. For the past few days, most of the Bulgarian TV stations have been discussing this case.