Experts challenge Church response to child abuse scandal

Experts have criticised the Catholic Church’s response to a scandal involving priests accused of sexual crimes against children, saying Vilnius Archbishop Gintaras Grušas has not outlined concrete measures to prevent further offences, LRT reported. Grušas apologised to the victims and the public but said it was not the right time to establish an independent investigative commission.

Priest Tadas Švedavičius, who is accused of sexual offences against children, initially denied the crimes but later admitted them after law enforcement launched an investigation. According to Grušas, the priest has promised to compensate the victims.

“The priest himself is prepared to compensate for the damage. He has promised to allocate the money through law enforcement. We are now waiting for those concrete steps, but he himself has promised to provide money for compensation,” Grušas said.

However, believers say the archbishop’s apology is not enough. Religion commentator Toma Bružaitė said she wanted answers about how many other cases may remain unknown and what would be done to uncover them.

Part of the public is calling for an independent investigative commission to audit the Church. Grušas said the priority should be to examine what can currently be done to prevent such crimes from recurring, rather than review historical circumstances.

Gabrielė Gailiūtė-Bernotienė, a representative of the Svarbus reikalas initiative, said such commissions were generally established only after scandals, court cases and compensation claims.

Experts stressed that an investigation would not simply mean revisiting the past, but would provide an additional tool for preventing crimes. Bružaitė compared prevention and intervention to two legs, saying the Church currently appeared to be “walking on one leg”.

Historian Liudas Jovaiša said the truth should always matter to the Church, as should every means of discovering it. He said an independent investigation could help restore trust, which has been seriously shaken both in society and within the Church.

Experts warned that the Church’s lack of openness could lead to a crisis of faith. Gailiūtė-Bernotienė said the Church risked becoming like the Soviet Union, where people proclaimed communism they did not believe in.

Society is also discussing stricter rules under which a priest proven to have committed sexual offences would be immediately removed from the clergy. Jovaiša said such a stain would make it difficult for a priest to continue his mission and suggested he could seek meaning in life as a layperson.

Švedavičius himself has asked to be returned to the lay state. The Holy See will make the decision. The Vilnius Regional Court has extended restrictions on the accused priest’s property rights for six months.