Teenager charged with stabbing civilian in Panevėžys after confrontation over tyre slashing

A 17-year-old has been formally charged with causing severe bodily harm to a civilian in Panevėžys after stabbing him multiple times during a confrontation over vehicle tyre damage, Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) reports.

The incident occurred on the evening of December 8 last year when the victim, a local resident, attempted to detain three teenagers—including the accused—after witnessing them slashing car tyres near an apartment complex. According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, the civilian pursued and restrained two of the minors, but the third emerged from the darkness and stabbed him six times in the head, neck, chest, and back before fleeing with the others.

The victim was rushed to hospital and required months of medical treatment. Forensic experts confirmed his injuries constituted severe harm to health. Police identified and arrested the suspect later that evening; he had been hiding in the home of one of the other teenagers involved.

The Panevėžys Regional Prosecutor’s Office has transferred the case to Panevėžys Regional Court. Under Lithuanian criminal law, deliberately causing severe harm to a person performing a civic duty carries a prison sentence of two to eight years. As the accused is a minor, any potential sentence would be reduced by half.

Prosecutors noted mitigating circumstances, including the teenager’s admission of guilt and expression of remorse, though aggravating factors—such as committing the offence while intoxicated—were also considered. Investigators declined to pursue charges for the tyre slashing itself, as the suspects were under 16, the minimum age for prosecution under public order offences. Victims were advised to seek compensation through civil claims or voluntary restitution from the minors’ parents.

The pre-trial investigation was led by prosecutor Sandra Povilonienė of the Panevėžys Regional Prosecutor’s Office, with support from the city’s Criminal Police Serious Crimes Unit. Under Lithuanian law, the accused remains presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court ruling.