the time when Dr. Dzhurelova was director of the home there were several serious incidents with children. The outcome of one of the cases is amputation of the hand of one of the children (in 2003) as the child was tied up to the bed over a prolonged period of time, and another child has suffered 80% burns and the child's life was in danger as no medical care was provided over several days (2011). In relation to this signal the Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria drafted an opinion that during the selection of candidates holding management positions and responsible for the care for children at risk, it should be assessed whether they have undisputed moral and ethical qualities. The opinion also states that such an attitude by officers in specialised institutions to the children puts them at risk in accordance with the definition of §1, item 11 of the Child Protection Law. The Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria, in the capacity as National Preventive Mechanism, turned to the Minister of Health and asked the competition for director of the Home for Medical – Social Care for Children "St. Ivan Rilski" in Sofia to be checked. The Ombudsman requested information to be provided to him regarding the justification of the choice of the winning candidate. Following receipt of the official opinion of the Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria the Minister of Health cancelled the competition and the procedure for the appointments of Mrs. Dzhurelova as director of the Home for Medical – Social Care. The Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria informed the Central Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Bulgaria on this case as well. 27