The committee held an extraordinary sitting during the summer vacation of the MPs

At an extraordinary sitting on Thursday the Legal Affairs Committee in Bulgaria's Parliament adopted proposed changes to the Criminal Code. That way penalties for light and medium bodily harm would be raised. 

The draft, written by GERB-SDS, PP-DB and MRF, was approved unanimously. It provides for the perpetrator to receive up to 8 years in prison for inflicting medium bodily harm, instead of 6 as it is now. There will be no probation for light bodily harm. Such an offence is punishable by up to 2 years' imprisonment.

The fine is also increased - from 500 /255 euro/ to 1000 leva /511 euro/. Currently it is from 100 /51 euro/ to 300 leva /153 euro/.

Now the changes must be voted on in the Parliament.