Sinkevičius backs public disclosure of child sex offenders

Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius said people convicted of sexual offences against children should not be protected from public scrutiny, LRT reported. He said he would support initiatives giving the public the right to know about such individuals.

“I would personally support such an initiative,” Sinkevičius told reporters at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday, adding that the legal situation needed to be examined in detail.

His comments followed the Vilnius Regional Prosecutor’s Office’s announcement that it had sent to court a case against a priest who worked in the Vilnius Archdiocese. The priest is accused of sexually abusing minors, exploiting a child for pornography, possessing child pornography, violating a minor’s sexual self-determination and inviolability for payment, and involving a child in drinking.

According to law enforcement authorities, the alleged offences took place between 2002 and June 2025, with 11 people affected. The prosecutor’s office and representatives of the Vilnius Archdiocese declined to name the accused priest, saying he was not a public figure.

Sinkevičius said the case could prompt efforts to change the law, including rules on identifying and disclosing the identities of people accused or convicted of such offences. He predicted that Parliament would consider legal initiatives in the autumn.

In 2024, Parliament gave initial approval to amendments proposing a register of suspects, defendants and people convicted of sexual offences against children. The proposal included a restricted database for courts, law enforcement and other institutions, as well as a public database listing people convicted of such offences. The government issued a negative opinion on the proposal in March 2025.