After 14 months in custody: Defendant in Sunny Beach ATV crash moved to house arrest

The Burgas District Court has released the young man on trial over a serious ATV crash in the resort of Sunny Beach in summer 2025 to house arrest with an electronic ankle tag. A 35-year-old woman was killed in the crash and five people were injured. The defendant had spent more than 14 months in custody, and the measure was being reviewed for the 11th time. He may not leave Bulgaria without the court's permission.

The panel of two judges and three lay judges found there was currently not enough concrete evidence that the defendant intended or was preparing to flee. The court cited his clean record, lasting family ties in Bulgaria and the absence of violations during an earlier house arrest. One of the two judges filed a dissenting opinion holding that detention was the only adequate measure. The court stressed that the decision does not diminish the grave consequences, but that custody cannot serve as advance punishment.

The mother of the woman who died said she could not accept the decision: "This boy killed my child." The defendant's lawyer declined to comment. The ruling can be appealed to the Burgas Court of Appeal within seven days. The defendant is presumed innocent.