On the Matter of Begging in Bulgarian Criminal Law

Authors:

Pages: 203-213
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54664/FGOV8433

Abstract:

The article addresses two major problems: poverty and begging. Poverty is a state or condition in which a person lacks financial resources and essentials for a minimum standard of living. The deprivation of access to fresh water, food or sanitation forces people into carrying out various life-sustaining activities in public spaces. One of these activities is begging on the streets. Unfortunately, begging has been socially stigmatised in numerous European countries, including Bulgaria, as immoral and deviant behaviour. In Bulgaria, begging has been criminalised under Art. 329, Para. 2 of the Criminal Code. Nevertheless, the issue lies in the fact that criminalising begging will not put an end to poverty. On the contrary, it threatens the existence and the exercise of fundamental human rights, which is why legislators should reconsider the criminal policy and eventually decriminalise begging.

Keywords:

begging, poverty, crime, decriminalisation, criminal law

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