Court upholds 20-year sentence for Gediminas Filipavičius in sexual violence case

A Kaunas district court on Friday delivered a new verdict against Gediminas Filipavičius, finding him guilty of kidnapping, sexual assault, and false imprisonment of two women, but his total sentence remains unchanged at 20 years, LRT reports.

The court convicted Filipavičius of 13 offences, including the abduction and sexual assault of two adult women—one a Lithuanian citizen, the other a Ukrainian national—as well as unlawful deprivation of liberty, health endangerment, and drug-related charges. Prosecutors had sought a 14-year term for these crimes, but the court merged the new sentence with his existing 20-year term for the 2022 abduction of a minor, leaving the total imprisonment period unchanged.

Both victims were held captive in garages in 2023. The Lithuanian woman has filed a €15,000 civil claim, while the Ukrainian woman seeks €25,000 in damages. The Ukrainian victim attended the verdict announcement via a Russian-language interpreter. Filipavičius, participating remotely from prison, asked whether his time already served would count toward the sentence. The judge confirmed the 20-year term remains final, with partial admission of guilt noted.

The case was heard in closed sessions, as is standard for trials involving sexual violence. The crimes came to light during the investigation into Filipavičius’ earlier abduction of a minor in Kaunas. The verdict is not yet final and may be appealed to the Kaunas Regional Court.