Lithuanian court upholds prison sentence for man convicted of severely injuring toddler

A Lithuanian appeals court has upheld a prison sentence for Vytautas Juškevičius, convicted of causing severe injuries to a two-year-old girl, rejecting his appeal, the country’s Prosecutor General’s Office reported Wednesday.

The Lithuanian Court of Appeal ruled on April 30 to leave in force a May 2025 verdict by Šiauliai Regional Court, which found Juškevičius guilty of grievous bodily harm and public order violations. He was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison. The appeals court’s decision is final but may still be challenged via cassation within three months.

According to case materials, Juškevičius—then the partner of the child’s mother—intentionally struck the toddler in the abdomen during a visit to his home, causing life-threatening injuries. The girl’s mother, who was in another room at the time, rushed in after hearing screams and found her daughter collapsed on the floor.

The two-year-old was initially taken to Raseiniai Hospital on December 25, 2022, before being transferred to Kaunas Clinics in critical condition, unconscious and in a coma. A pre-trial investigation was launched the following day after medical staff identified signs of violent trauma.