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On 27 February 2002
the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee visited the home for mentally retarded
adults in Tamarino, near Straldja.
Kamelia Nencheva, 27, diagnosed with severe mental retardation, died in
the home six days ago. On February 20 the home personnel lit a fire outside
the home yard, but near the fence, in order to burn some rubbish. This
happened after lunch between 1:20 pm and 1:40 pm (the break for the orderlies,
who were five people at the time of the incident, is between 1:30 and
2 pm). Kamelia managed to jump over the low fence and lay on top of the
burning mass. Laundry hung to dry nearby prevented the personnel or the
clients of the home from seeing her for a long time. Eventually, clients
on their way to the outside toilets noticed the young woman and reported
the incident to the orderlies and the nurse. At the time of the incident
the home director, Fani Mihailova, was at the municipal social assistance
service in the nearby town of Straldja. Upon her return at 2:40 pm the
young woman was transported to the emergency medical centre in the town
of Yambol, where she later died from the severe burns. The post mortem
established a brain tumor which had not been detected during any of the
youn woman's previous medical examinations.
According to Fani Mihailova, she has filed several reports with the municipal
and district social assistance services about the low fencing around the
home and the danger which this holds for the clients, as well as the insufficient
personnel - 9 orderlies for 84 women (who work two to a shift) and 1 nurse.
Her requests for additional funding to solve these problems had so far
remained without any answer.
An investigation has been opened into the incident. top
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