Progressives report former member to police over alleged relationship with minor

Latvian party Progressives has reported former member Mārtiņš Eņģelis to police over allegations of a possible sexual relationship with a minor, LSM reported.

The party said it first received a whistleblower alert about possible misconduct by Eņģelis, then a Riga city councillor, and asked him to give up his mandate. After he left the Riga City Council and the party, Progressives received an anonymous email alleging he may have violated the Criminal Law. The party said it then contacted police.

Youth organisation Protests, which works with the party, said on social media that using a position of power to draw young people into sexual relationships was incompatible with Progressives’ values. It said it would contact all party structures to find out what information the party had and whether any harm had been covered up.

State Police told news agency LETA that it could not disclose whether it had received submissions concerning specific people. It said reports of possible crimes, particularly those involving minors, are reviewed and investigated thoroughly.

Newspaper Diena reported that Eņģelis may have had an intimate relationship with an underage orphan who approached the Riga Orphan’s Court. The submission was sent to the State Police and the justice minister.

On September 10, the Riga City Council approved the early termination of Eņģelis’s mandate. He had served on the council’s urban development, housing and environment committees and, since January, had chaired the Riga Youth Affairs Consultative Commission.