Lithuanian premier calls meeting on child protection system

Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius will convene a meeting on the effectiveness of the child protection system following a rise in cases involving minors as victims of crime and violence, LRT reported.

He said on Friday that cases involving alleged sexual crimes against minors had been referred to prosecutors, while recent incidents of violence between minors had also raised serious concerns.

Sinkevičius has invited the leadership of the Interior Ministry, the Ministry of Social Security and Labour, the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, and the Child Rights Protection Service to Monday’s meeting.

“We need to clearly identify the problem: is it necessary to change the laws, or should more attention be paid to applying the laws already in force?” he said.

The prime minister said the meeting would examine what was needed to keep children safe and ensure that victims of abuse were not rejected or ignored. He added that the interests of children should not be placed below the reputation of any institution.

According to BNS, cases against two priests accused of sexual crimes against children have been referred to court. One priest is accused of sexual crimes against 11 minors in 34 criminal episodes, including forcing children to consume alcohol and sexually assaulting them. The alleged crimes took place over 23 years, from 2002 to 2025. The case was referred to the Vilnius Regional Court.

In another case referred to the Vilnius City District Court, a priest is accused of possessing child pornography. There are no victims in that case.

In mid-July, a minor girl was beaten by peers in Poetry Park in Marijampolė. People nearby watched and filmed the incident, and a recording showing the violence against the girl spread on social media that same evening.