Bulgarian Immigrants Sentenced After Assaulting Children
A Bulgarian man, Ilya Belov, aged 22, along with his sister Nadezha Belova, 20, has been sentenced after a 13-year-old girl confronted him with an ax and a knife. This incident unfolded in Dundee, Scotland, where the girl, supported by another child shouting at Belov, reacted strongly to his inappropriate comments.
The case gained considerable media attention, particularly after video footage from August 2025 emerged showing the confrontation. This sparked a debate as various authorities, including police and politicians, criticized public discussions surrounding the incident, often accusing people of spreading misinformation. Police later acknowledged their initial statements did not accurately reflect what happened, though they refrained from issuing an apology.
Belov was found guilty of assaulting a 12-year-old girl and exhibiting threatening behavior towards a group of girls aged 12 to 14. His sister also pleaded guilty to assaulting a 13-year-old during the same incident. Sentencing for both is scheduled for August 5th.
Footage that circulated widely depicted a man yelling at the children as they pleaded for him to leave them alone. Disturbingly, one girl, clearly frightened, pulled out a hatchet and knife from her waistband.
During his defense, Belov claimed he was simply on his way to buy cigarettes when the children began hurling insults at him, including derogatory comments about immigrants. He alleged that he called his sister for help out of fear, indicating they were threatening him.
However, the judge, Sheriff Timothy Niven-Smith, dismissed Belov’s defense as unconvincing. Evidence presented in court revealed it was, in fact, Belov who initiated the verbal confrontation by making vulgar remarks to the group of girls.
The court heard the children labeled him “disgusting” after his comments, which led to the assaults. Reports indicate that Nadezha pulled one girl by the hair, dragged her down, and punched another child. The assault was severe enough that one girl required hospitalization.
The mother of one of the victims welcomed the prosecution, expressing relief that the truth came to light amid what she described as a backdrop of misinformation. After the August incident, initial reports falsely labeled the young victims as migrants, and in a concerning move, police charged one of the children with possession of an offensive weapon.
In the aftermath, controversial statements from officials fueled speculation about the incident. Politicians criticized those discussing the case online, dismissing claims of immigrant attacks as unfounded. Scotland’s First Minister voiced concerns about misinformation, particularly regarding statements made on social media.
Although police released a statement following Belov’s conviction, they stopped short of directly addressing the misinformation circulated in relation to the assault. The investigation revealed a tangled web of inaccuracies, including unfounded claims about the asylum status of those involved.
Official statements acknowledged the complexity of the situation and the need for accurate communication to prevent community distress. The police confirmed that their initial information was indeed misleading and that further inquiries led to the appropriate charges against Belov and Belova.
