Title: Bulgaria: Mysterious Disappearance of Down Syndrome Boy, Nikolai, Into Its 17th Day
Rumours of Nikolai’s whereabouts remain elusive as the hunt for the 12-year-old boy with Down syndrome continues, nearly three weeks since his mysterious disappearance from his Konaquista home on December 17. Despite dwindling hopes, authorities and volunteers refuse to abandon the search, scouring vast areas in frigid temperatures that hinder the operation.
The boy’s disappearance left his mother distraught. She told BG on Air, "I feel like my child has been kidnapped. How shameless! One child… tell me, how shameless can you be? I’ve turned to fortune-tellers and psychic senses. I’ve spent some money, but nothing’s happening. One told me he’s dead, another said he’s alive. I don’t know what to think. I even got a call saying my child is dead."
The search, led by Konaquista Mayor Stancho Stefanov, has yielded little progress. "We’ll walk through the same places again and again. There’s hope that once let loose, he might be found. The mystery is complete; there’s no trace of him at all, and it’s truly very mysterious," Stefanov said.
Nikolai’s sole trace was his dog returning home days after the disappearance. As winter sets in, time is of the essence in finding the missing boy.
