Minister Demerdzhiev: We Are Dissatisfied with Varna Police, Chief Secretary Takes Over Search for Natalia.

Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev said he was dissatisfied with the initial reaction of the Varna police after the report of the disappearance of 11-year-old Natalia and 40-year-old Asen Simeonov, who until recently had lived with her mother as her partner.

He added that there was no evidence that Natalia and the man with her had left the country.

Demerdzhiev criticised the Varna Regional Directorate of the Interior Ministry, saying he had remarks about its work.

We are not particularly satisfied with the actions of the regional directorate so far, so we are doing everything possible to strengthen the forces on the ground and create better organisation. We are treating this case with the utmost seriousness, the minister said.

He noted that his criticism mainly concerned the first hours of the search.

Additional police teams have been sent to the area and are searching large forested and hard-to-reach locations. Volunteers are also taking part in the search, while the operation is now being coordinated by the Interior Ministry leadership.

Demerdzhiev explained that the goal is to reinforce the directorate’s teams and create better organisation.

The minister expressed optimism that the case would be resolved soon.

I believe we will resolve the case soon, he said.

The 11-year-old girl from the village of Konstantinovo disappeared on the night of June 30. According to initial information, she was abducted by her mother’s former partner after threats that she would be killed.

Police said the wanted man has a criminal record and had been hiding for days before the abduction.