A 12-year-old girl arrested and charged after police initially believed a Bulgarian man’s claims that she had called him a ‘f***ing migrant’ and threatened him has finally been vindicated after he was found guilty of assault.
The terrified schoolgirl was filmed brandishing a knife and axe by Ilia Belov who shared the video online after he had called her 'sexy' and then attacked her.
Her mother has said that her daughter 'told the truth from the start' but no one believed her, including Police Scotland.
Ilia Belov, 22, had followed his 12-year-old victim and three other girls through Dundee last August, yelling at her: 'Come here sexy. I will show you how to have a good time.'
When she stood up for herself and called him 'creepy', Belov shoved her, causing her to hit her head on a metal handrail as she fell to the ground in the Lochee area of the city. He phoned his sister who then turned up and beat up a 13-year-old.
Belov filmed the 12-year-old brandishing a knife and axe at him in footage that led to her arrest. The viral video was shared on X by Elon Musk who said: 'What kind of government arrests little girls who try to defend themselves?'
But the schoolgirl was vilified when First Minister John Swinney condemned Musk's defence as 'deliberate misinformation' and the SNP leader accused the billionaire of trying to 'undermine' community cohesion.
Police Scotland released a statement saying a 'Bulgarian couple' had been 'approached by youths' as the authorities appeared to pin the blame on her.
Yesterday the girl, now 13, and her sister, now 14, were called 'impressive' and 'eloquent' witnesses as they were praised for telling the truth.
Belov claimed he had acted in self-defence and alleged the girl called him 'a f***ing migrant' when he walked past to buy cigarettes. In fact he called her 'sexy' and pushed her over.
His evidence was dismissed as 'wholly unconvincing... revisionist and self-serving' by Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith after he was found guilty of assaulting the 12-year-old. He was also convicted of behaving in a 'threatening or abusive manner' towards four girls aged between 12 and 14.




