Court upholds suspended sentence in 15-year-old’s rape case

The Panevėžys Regional Court has upheld a suspended prison sentence for animator Klaidas Sinica, who was convicted of raping a 15-year-old girl at the Siaubo Park amusement park in Anykščiai District, LRT reported. The decision has drawn criticism from members of the public and politicians because Sinica will remain free under supervision.

Sinica was sentenced to three years in prison, with the sentence suspended for two years. He was also ordered to pay the girl 5,000 euros in non-pecuniary damages.

He must begin working or studying, or register with the Employment Service, within two months of the judgment taking effect. He must also attend programmes designed to change violent behaviour and remain at home from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. for six months, unless he is working or studying.

Panevėžys Regional Court judge Donatas Jatužis said the ruling had been upheld after the court assessed the circumstances as a whole. He noted that no physical violence had been recorded, but said the girl had had no opportunity to resist.

In court, Sinica denied the charge and argued that the sexual intercourse had taken place with the girl’s consent, citing the absence of external signs of violence. He also tried to portray her behaviour as sexualised and referred to her previous sexual experience.

The court said those factors were not relevant. Sinica knew the girl was under 18 because he had asked her age and she had shaken her head.

The girl said that the animator, who was wearing a clown costume, initially grabbed her by the throat, jokingly tried to “stab” her with a fake dagger, took her blanket and ran away. Later, when she went to retrieve the blanket because she was cold, they took a photograph together. The clown then pulled her and her friend into a maze.

After the girls found their way out, the animator pulled the victim alone into a very small technical room. LRT did not disclose details of what happened there to protect the girl’s health and privacy.

The girl testified that she clearly demanded that he stop. She immediately told her friends about the assault and burst into tears. Her friends said she was very frightened when she came outside and told them what had happened.

The girl’s mother told LRT that she was disappointed by the court’s decision and that her daughter remained traumatised while the convicted man was free. LRT is withholding the mother’s surname to protect the girl’s privacy.