Lithuanian Church plans abuse inquiry, but independence remains unclear

The Lithuanian Bishops’ Conference has decided to investigate sexual offences against minors and vulnerable adults since 1990, but questions remain over whether the inquiry will be independent. The conference is waiting for guidance from the Holy See, LRT reports.

The inquiry follows recent court proceedings involving two priests. Last week, the Vilnius Regional Court opened the case of Tadas Švedavičius, who is charged with 34 offences related to the sexual abuse of children, pornography and involving children in drinking. A week earlier, a court considered the case of Ryšardas Peciūnas, who is charged with possessing pornographic material.

In August, after the charges against the two priests became public, Archbishop Gintaras Grušas said it was too early for an internal Church inquiry. The Bishops’ Conference decided this weekend that the Church would proceed with an investigation.

Bishop Arūnas Poniškaitis, the conference’s national delegate for the protection of minors and vulnerable adults, said it was always the right time to discuss creating a safe environment in the Church. “We agreed among ourselves that crimes against minors are intolerable,” he said.

Researchers say the decision to investigate is welcome, but its scope and independence remain unclear. Povilas Aleksandravičius, a professor at Mykolas Romeris University, said it was important to establish whether the bishops meant an independent inquiry or an internal one. Religion commentator Toma Bružaitė said the investigation should also examine why such crimes were able to happen. Counting cases alone, she said, would not explain the problem or help change the situation.

The Bishops’ Conference has asked the Holy See for guidance on how to investigate the offences and expects a response in about six months. The inquiry is set to cover the period from 11 March 1990, when Lithuania restored its independence. Aleksandravičius said it would also be useful to learn what happened in the Lithuanian Church during the Soviet period and how it related to the authorities of the time.

Investigations in other countries have used different methods, Bružaitė said. In some, bishops have reviewed their own records; in others, independent groups and experts have carried out the work without Church involvement in how it was conducted.

A 2021 investigation found that clergy or lay members of the Church had sexually abused about 330,000 minors in France over a 70-year period. On Sunday, during his visit to France, the Pope urged the country’s bishops to continue their efforts to combat sexual abuse.