Justice minister renews call for sex offender register

Justice Minister Rita Tamašunienė has called for Lithuania to revive plans for a public register of people convicted of sexual offences, LRT reported Thursday. The proposal follows prosecutors’ announcement that two priests have been charged with sexual offences against children.

Tamašunienė said such a register would strengthen monitoring and prevention measures. “In my assessment as justice minister, the time has come to return to this idea and seek solutions that would help protect children even better,” she said in a statement. “We agree that such data should be public.”

She said people convicted of sexual offences should remain subject to monitoring after serving their sentences, arguing that this would strengthen the state’s role in preventing repeat offences. Social Security and Labour Minister Inga Ruginienė has also expressed support for the idea.

In 2024, the Seimas approved for consideration amendments to establish a register of suspects, defendants and people convicted of crimes against children’s sexual self-determination and inviolability. The proposed register would include a restricted database accessible to courts, law enforcement and other institutions when permitted by law, as well as a public database listing information about convicted offenders on a website for public review.

However, the government issued a negative opinion on the proposal in March last year.

The debate was revived after prosecutors announced this week that two cases involving priests accused of sexual offences against children had been sent to court. One priest is accused of sexual offences against 11 minors in 34 criminal episodes committed over 23 years, from 2002 to 2025. His case was sent to the Vilnius Regional Court.

In the other case, sent to the Vilnius City District Court, another priest is accused of possessing child pornography. There are no victims in that case. According to the news portal Delfi and the Liteko court scheduling system, the defendants are Tadas Švedavičius and Ryšardas Peciunas.

Tamašunienė said law enforcement institutions must establish all the circumstances and ensure that victims’ rights are protected and that they receive compensation for the harm caused. She said the recent events had shocked many people but urged the public to distinguish individual cases from the wider priesthood.