Bulgarian Man Receives Community Sentence for Assaulting 12-Year-Old After False Racism Claim

A Bulgarian factory worker, Ilia Belov, 23, has been sentenced to 18 months of supervision, 300 hours of unpaid work, and placed on the sex offenders register for 18 months for assaulting a 12-year-old girl. Belov also falsely accused the girl of racism and threatened her after calling her 'sexy.' The incident, which occurred in Dundee, Scotland, in August of the previous year, gained widespread attention after Belov filmed the confrontation and shared it online, leading to the girl's arrest. Police initially accepted Belov's fabricated account that the girl had racially abused him.

The schoolgirl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was filmed by Belov brandishing a knife and an axe. He subsequently posted the footage online, accusing her of racism. This led to her being vilified online, with Scottish First Minister John Swinney appearing to support Belov's account and Elon Musk sharing the video and questioning the authorities' actions.

Ten months after the incident, Belov was found guilty of assault in June. Outside Dundee Sheriff Court, Belov declined to apologize to the girl, stating he wanted to move on with his life and care for his children. He also expressed feeling like a 'social pariah' in Dundee and that his Scottish friends had abandoned him.

During the trial, it was heard that Belov had followed the girl and three other children, shouting, "Come here sexy. I will show you how to have a good time." When the girl called him "creepy," Belov shoved her, causing her to fall and hit her head. He then contacted his sister, Nadjedzha Belova, 20, who arrived at the scene and assaulted a 13-year-old girl who was with the victim. Both Belov and his sister later provided false statements to the police.

Nadjedzha Belova previously pleaded guilty to assaulting the 13-year-old and was sentenced to 180 hours of unpaid work. The court noted that both siblings had been negatively affected by the intense global reaction to the incident.

Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith told Belov that he was the "author of your own misfortune" for filming the confrontation and allowing it to be posted online. The sheriff added that Belov's motivation for his remarks was "for sexual gratification" and that his conduct would have had a psychological impact on the child victims. The sheriff also stated that Belov did not appear genuinely contrite.

Regarding Nadjedzha Belova, the sheriff noted her assault was premeditated and an "unpleasant and wholly unprovoked attack on a child." Both siblings received sentences that were direct alternatives to custody.

The victim's mother stated it was "heartbreaking" that her daughter, who "told the truth from the start," was not initially believed. She added that the focus on the weapons overshadowed the actual events of that day.

Police Scotland initially stated that a "Bulgarian couple" had been "approached by youths," which critics argued placed blame on the children. However, after reviewing CCTV footage, investigators concluded the children were truthful. The girls, now 13 and 14, were described in court as "impressive" and "eloquent" witnesses.