And how will boycotting Bulgaria help these poor children?

It's great that BBC showed this film, because everybody in Bulgaria and the UK could see what kind of care these children get. If the BBC boycotted the contry would it be better for them? You want to help or be ignorant? Seems to me the second one.

Ivan, Varna,

I am Bulgarian and I live in Bulgaria. I watched the film. I know that the situation in these institutions called "homes for abandoned children" is awful. I want to say one big THANK YOU to the authors of the film, to the Brits, who signed the petition, donated money and cryed for our abandoned children. In Bulgaria this film produced silence on the political level. Nothing more. I am ashamed and angry. I would boycott Bulgaria too.

rada, sofia, bulgaria,

The major finding in this film is that in Bulgaria, they have a real democracy. Verry sad for Britain... See ya in Sunny Beach!

Mark , London,

It is sad that Britons can not retire in their own country, that they need the high-return of real estate in third-world countries, that they are not willing to work menial jobs and are unable to afford alcohol at London prices.

Thus we need each other, you need us as peddlers of dubious real-estate deals, as your plumbers and as pimps of underage prostitutes and bartenders of cheap booze.

We in turn need not just your money -- what we need most is that you write to your MEP now and prod Bulgaria into fixing its shame.

Philip Stoev, Sofia, Bulgaria

Dear Ms Mahony,
I boycott your article. I see that the treatment children receive in this orphanage is inhumane. Yet how can you generalize a whole country based on what you have seen on the BBC?
I myself am from Bulgaria and I had been visiting about 5 or 6 orphanages as a volunteer. I can assure you that in none I met the same cruelty. No child was malnutritioned or had bones sticking out of their skin.
Yes, there is a big issue in the funding of Bulgarian orphanages and the treatment of children taken care in such, which the government refuses to face. As a 19-year-old student, I don't have the authority to change that, so I prefer to act individually as a volunteer. I am being active. And I see your point of view as passive.
How, do you think, will the lack of British tourists help Bulgarian orphans? Instead of condemning injustice, why not work to eliminate it? I know I am.

Mina, Sofia, Bulgaria/Sheffield, UK,

I am Bulgarian and I am disgusted. We live in Europe, we call Europeans... Shame on us!

Alexander Apostolov, Sofia, Bulgaria

I think the author said she is a traveling journalist. But I can’t see any impressions from Bulgaria itself, only from TV. Yes, all in this documentary is true, but that doesn’t mean that Bulgaria is third world country. Just, we have problems as any other country in the EU. It is very convenient to sit in your couch, watch TV and write how bad it is and how disgusted you are. Because of people like that and not without the help of the newspapers, people in Britain think that Bulgarians and Romanians will come ant take their jobs, flood their streets with crime and so on….This is why you treat us like non-europeans and your labour market is closed for us which is very humiliating for EU members. And the predictions that after 1st of January Bulgarians will come in thousands were not true also, but I can’t read anywhere that this was a misjudgment.

If it is so bad here, why many villages around Veliko Tarnovo and the seaside are full with Englishmen who bought houses over there? If I think like you I have to boycott England too. Why? I read a story about English couple in Bulgarian newspaper. They came here, bough a house and the woman started to drink all the time and take part in orgies with gypsies and horses….yes, horses. When her boyfriend left her she made her 12-years daughter to sell her body for 5 leva (equal to 2.5 euro), just to buy drinks. So isn’t that disgusting? If I think like you I have to imagine that Britain is full with sick people who make orgies and make their children sell their bodies for drinks. But one man or one documentary doesn’t speak for a whole nation and everyone who lives here.

Dimitar, Sofia, Bulgaria

This just seems like a lot of drama. Not to belittle the author's feelings, but reality is that in almost every country, disabled people are not treated fairly. Since financially Bulgaria is trailing behind the other EU members, there are many disadvantaged people. The Government cannot help everybody, so the sad reality is several social strata are marginalised, handicapped people among them. Maybe next, a movie should be made on the retired people, abandoned babies, gypsies, etc, etc?
These people need help indeed. Why does the author not offer help? Instead of hiccuping in front of the TV set, go to Bulgaria and spend some time with these children. I am sure you will make a difference in their lives. Instead of sitting comfortably in your living room, just go and be with them. It's easiest to sit and talk and point fingers. Life in Bulgaria is tough. It will take an awful a lot of time until the Western standard of living is achieved in Bulgaria. Until then, the people need help.

Native Bulgarian, Washington DC, USA

" clean up your act and start to look after the vulnerable children in your care."
That's a bit rich coming from a woman who uses Vallergan on her child.

bob bagg, Sofia, Bulgaria

I live in Bulgaria and I can say Emma Mahony has a very valid point. I love the Bulgaria but I can say some of the institutions that should look after its disadvantaged citizens require urgent upgrading. Many Bulgarians also believe exactly the same, so this is no news to many people here.

Nobody is doubting that Bulgaria is a beautiful country, indeed it is. The issue is regarding the Public institutions. And furthermore, Bulgaria has far far worse problems than almost all other EU countries.

Should Bulgaria be in the EU? Many foreigners residing here and many Bulgarians were shocked that it was admitted into the EU. It almost seemed that the EU had disregarded many of its requirements just to have Bulgaria and Romania in the EU.. now it is and we should do the best to make Bulgaria a better place for everyone to live in and not for those lucky few that are benefiting very well from Real Estate / Tourism profiteering.

Mark, Sofia, Bulgaria

Thank you, Dr. F, for speaking up.

Bob, since you haven't seen the documentary, (and Ms. Mahony HAS), why don't you wait until you have seen it before you make any comments?

You are, of course, free to travel where you want and spend your money there. However, many people don't wish to enable governments of countries where abuse of the vulnerable takes place in government-run institutions. If Ms. Mahony, in her professional capacity as a travel journalist for a respected British newspaper, brings such a country to the attention of her readers, then good for her and the "Times" for enlightening us all as to the hidden human costs of cheap vacations.

Mary F., Cambridge MA, USA

Great! Do you feel that you took the burden off your shoulders? Instead of pointing fingers and giving wrong impressions to the people who have not visited this beautiful country, why don't you do something noble and help this children out?

Sofia, Las Vegas , USA

Shocking and shamefull it is .The place is shocking .The country is a joke and nothing will be done,trust me.
Brits will continue to have their cheap booze for long together with questionable enjoyment and fantasy of being property owners abroad and will try to protect their fragile investments .The sad thing is that Bulgaria is filling with people who feel rejected by their own countries and in seach of cheap as chips everything.But if you are paying peanuts you will get only......Tourists dont care.They will wait until the next cheap destination and will slam the door shut on Bulgaria as quickly as they were opening it few year ago.

mikey, London, UK

questionable intent ?? Please can Bob from New York kindly confirm that he watched the documentary. Even if the documentary had no sound I have never witness something so awful that I am actually doing something about it. It is a crime which should be dealt with as quickly as possible. As human beings each of us should take the best action possible to stop something like this occuring. This is a issue which can be solved unlike more complicated ones e.g -perhaps where certain countries are at war etc.
Bob - stop writing about nothing. Obviously you have time on your hands - so what are you going to do to help this cause ?
Esther, Reigate - mother of two children.

esther pfeiffer, reigate, England / surrey

Dear Emma (&all!)
and what is wrong for those who may HAVE to seek a 'cheaper' life???-Don't judge!!
a little or should i say a ;lot of pompous 'soap boxing' here.
naturally we all want the best for those children....AND the elderly?? and all?? worldwide but declarations of NOt going>>>ooohhh u r so harsh!- won't it put you out??
Go and get your hands dirty- make a contribution dont just sit and preach..but then it is a nice litttle earner eh??

mike, oxfrod, uk

The slanderous contribution by "Bob" should be treated with the contempt it deserves. Ms Mahoney's article is poignant and lucid; it is a perfect example of the best of British journalism, serving to enrich us all.

Dr F., Bloomington, U.S.A.

What a ludicrous article. Leave it to a limey soccer mom to watch a documentary of questionable intent and then extrapolate about an entire nation. Good job Times Online editors, very professional.

I wonder what sort of commentary I could make about the whole of England based on such movies as Scum (1979) about the British Juvenile penal system.

Bulgaria is a beautiful country, with problems like any other, but someone who stays at home and judges from afar is a sad lonely person, not to be given any credence.

Bob, New York, New York