When a child is abandoned to the state in Bulgaria, he or she risks spending her whole life in institutions. Human rights violations in these institutions range from inhuman or degrading treatment arising from conditions of detention (Art.3, European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, ECHR); violations of the right to the best attainable standard of physical and mental health (Art.12, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, ICESCR) and the right to education (Art. 13, ICESCR and Art.28 and 29 CRC) and for those under 18, a whole host of violations of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.   more »