Lithuanian lawyer convicted of attempting to buy a baby appeals to Supreme Court
A lawyer convicted of attempting to purchase a newborn has filed an appeal with Lithuania’s Supreme Court, seeking to overturn her conviction, LRT reports.
The Supreme Court of Lithuania (LAT) confirmed it had accepted the cassation appeal from the woman’s defence team, which argues for her acquittal. According to court spokesperson Tautvilė Merkevičiūtė, the appeal requests the annulment of the appellate court’s guilty verdict and the reinstatement of the lower court’s initial acquittal.
Merkevičiūtė noted that, due to the case’s non-public status, further details and reasoning cannot be disclosed. The Supreme Court registered the appeal on April 22.
The case first gained attention in February when news portal Delfi reported that a prominent Kaunas-based lawyer and her businessman husband had been convicted of human trafficking. Court documents indicate the couple attempted to buy a newborn several years ago, entering an illegal agreement with a pregnant woman who had initially considered terminating her pregnancy.
According to Delfi, the pregnant woman, after consulting a doctor who advised against abortion, was approached by the lawyer’s husband. He proposed that she name him as the child’s father on official records, allowing the couple to later adopt the baby. The woman agreed in exchange for financial compensation, receiving over €10,000 before the birth. A notary-certified paternity agreement was signed.
However, a month before delivery, the woman changed her mind and decided to keep the child. The lawyer’s husband allegedly began threatening her, prompting child welfare authorities to intervene. The woman later reported the threats to law enforcement.
The lower court initially acquitted the couple, but the appellate court overturned the decision, finding them guilty of human trafficking. They received one-year suspended sentences with no intensive supervision and were barred from contacting the child’s mother. Each was also ordered to pay €2,500 in compensation to the Crime Victims’ Support Fund.