Hundreds mourn at murdered Bulgarian journalist's funeral

Record ID: 1360242

  • Title: Hundreds mourn at murdered Bulgarian journalist's funeral
  • Date: 12th October 2018
  • Summary: RUSE, BULGARIA (OCTOBER 12, 2018) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF HOLY TRINITY CATHEDRAL IN RUSE SIGN ANNOUNCING FUNERAL FOR MURDERED TV JOURNALIST VIKTORIA MARINOVA ATTENDANTS FIXING WREATHS OF FLOWERS MOURNERS WAITING OUTSIDE CATHEDRAL PALLBEARERS TAKING COFFIN FROM HEARSE AND CARRYING IT INTO CATHEDRAL (SOUNDBITE) (Bulgarian) MARINOVA'S BOYFRIEND, IVELIN KRASTEV, SAYING: "I can o
  • Embargoed: 26th October 2018 12:26
  • Keywords: Viktoria Marinova murdered Bulgarian journalist funeral murder investigation
  • Location: RUSE, BULGARIA
  • City: RUSE, BULGARIA
  • Country: Bulgaria
  • Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Crime
  • Reuters ID: LVA00191RGV2F
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Hundreds of Bulgarians queued silently at a church in Ruse on Friday (October 12) to pay their last respects to Viktoria Marinova, the television journalist whose brutal rape and murder shocked the country and triggered debates over freedom of the press.
    More than 500 grieving Ruse citizens, carrying red and white carnations and funeral wreaths, flocked to the funeral service at the Sveta Troitsa (Holy Trinity) Cathedral and gave their condolences to Marinova's relatives.
    People who knew her talked about her determination, responsibility and kindness, and her charitable work and commitment to social causes such as support for disabled and disadvantaged children, about which she also reported.
    Many were also angered at the horrific murder and called for the toughest sentence for the perpetrator.
    The body of the 30-year-old Marinova, a host of a regional current affairs show at a local TV station, was found in a park near the Danube port of Ruse, her hometown, on Saturday (October 6). Police said she had been raped, beaten, and strangled.
    Bulgarian prosecutors said no evidence indicated Marinova's death was related to her work. A random attack and sexual assault were the most likely motive, they said, although they were still investigating all possibilities.
    A Bulgarian man, Severin Krasimirov, 20, was arrested in Germany over the killing, and German authorities approved Krasimirov's extradition, saying that he had agreed to an expedited procedure, meaning he should be sent to Bulgaria within 10 days.
    The suspect told German magistrates he had hit a woman he did not know while drunk and on drugs but denied intending to kill, rape or rob her.
    Marinova's murder revived debate over the extent of press freedom in the Black Sea state, ranked 111 out of 180 countries this year in a world press freedom index compiled by Reporters Without Borders.
    Bulgaria also ranks worst in the EU for violence against women, according to the European Institute for Gender Equality.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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