Bulgarian pimp forced women into prostitution

These are the first pictures of the violent Bulgarian thug who brutally forced women into prostitution after posing as a wealthy businessman.

Ilko Tonev, 37, wooed one woman, known only as Margarita, 20, and under the pretence of a trip to Holland, stole her passport and forced her into prostitution.

When Margarita tried to escape the brutal thug battered her leaving her in a critical condition. 

Police tracked the pimp to a luxury hotel in the seaside city of Burgas where he injured his back jumping out of a second-floor window in a bid to escape.

Tonev was charged for GBH and attempted murder and detained after an official investigation was launched. 

But after feigning illness so he couldn’t travel for his court date, he was released on bail and immediately returned to The Hague, in Holland, to continue his sick trade.

Following an international outcry, the abuser was arrested by Dutch police.

Victim shelter owner Norbert Ceipek spearheaded the push for Tonev’s arrest.

Ilko Tonev, 37, wooed one woman, known only as Margarita, 20, and under the pretence of a trip to Holland, stole her passport and forced her into prostitution. When Margarita tried to escape the brutal thug battered her leaving her in a critical condition

He said that the 20-year-old victim was horrifically mutilated by the Bulgarian.

Ceipek said that after the woman failed in her escape: ‘she was caught by him and brought back.

‘He became so angry that he began to beat the young woman and struck her with objects so much that she almost died [sic].’

A Hague police spokesperson said: ‘On September 1 a Bulgarian man was arrested on request of the Bulgarian authorities.

Tonev was charged for GBH and attempted murder and detained after an official investigation was launched. But after feigning illness so he couldn’t travel for his court date, he was released on bail and immediately returned to The Hague, in Holland, to continue his sick trade

‘The man has since been detained and will possibly be extradited.’

According to the Dutch Coordination Centre for Human Trafficking (CoMensha) the trafficking of innocent woman into prostitution is a big problem in the Netherlands.

Between 2010 and 2014, 6,924 possible victims of human trafficking were registered, with Bulgarians in second place in the statistics behind native Dutch girls and women forced into prostitution.

NGOs, such as the one run by Norbert Ceipek in Bulgaria, get some financial support from the government and some donations but it is not enough to help all the victims.

Between 2010 and 2014, 6,924 possible victims of human trafficking were registered, with Bulgarians in second place in the statistics behind native Dutch girls and women forced into prostitution.

He said the case of the 20-year-old victim is typical of the overall situation.

Ceipek said: ‘When she arrives [in the Netherlands], she realises that she has to walk the streets with another Bulgarian and two Nigerians. She does not want to but by beating and other compulsive measures she complies and prostitutes herself for 8 months.’

Ceipek decided to show the graphic images of the victim’s injuries to make a statement.

The gruesome images show the young woman with a head trauma, a giant scar on her stomach, and her lips, nose and eyes are badly swollen from the multiple beatings she had to endure.

The gruesome images show the young woman with a head trauma, a giant scar on her stomach, and her lips, nose and eyes are badly swollen from the multiple beatings she had to endure

The victim had to leave the hospital after five weeks as she did not have health insurance as she was unable to pay for it in those months she was forced to work as a prostitute in The Hague.

The young woman ended up in Ceipek’s shelter, who is now trying to fund raise the costs needed for additional treatment.

Ceipek said: ‘She desperately needs more surgeries on her face and mouth, skin transplantations and much more. There is no body part which has not been affected.’