Priest admitted guilt in one child abuse case, archdiocese says

One of two priests whose criminal cases have been sent to court admitted his guilt, expressed remorse and cooperated with investigators, the Vilnius Archdiocese said, according to LRT.

The archdiocese said prosecutors had transferred two cases involving allegations of criminal acts against minors. One Vilnius archdiocese priest is accused of offences against 11 young people aged between 12 and 18.

The other priest, whose case was sent to court in June, is accused of possessing pornographic material depicting a child. There are no victims in that case. The archdiocese did not say which priest had admitted guilt.

“One of the priests admitted his guilt, was remorseful and cooperated with investigators,” Mykolas Sotničenka, the Vilnius Archdiocese coordinator for the protection of minors and vulnerable adults, told reporters.

He declined to disclose the names of the accused, saying that doing so could reveal the identities of victims.

“What matters most to me are the people who suffered. I therefore urge people not to try to identify or speculate about the accused, so that those who were harmed remain safe,” Sotničenka said.

He also said he was ashamed that such cases had occurred in a place where minors should have been safe.

One of the accused priests had taken part in safe-environment training organised by the Vilnius Archdiocese, but the training did not prevent the alleged offence, Sotničenka said. The archdiocese received no reports of criminal acts during the priests’ years of service, he added.

According to the archdiocese, one victim contacted Archbishop Gintaras Grušas and received the assistance they requested. Grušas was outside Lithuania on retreat and did not attend Tuesday’s brief press conference.

The Vilnius Archdiocese said it had cooperated responsibly with law enforcement and would continue to do so. It has also launched canonical investigations and informed the Holy See.

Both priests had been and remain suspended from their duties, the archdiocese said. It urged people to report crimes against children to law enforcement authorities.