Court convicts former Radviliškis teacher of harassing nine pupils

Šiauliai District Court has convicted Remigijus Bielskis, a former career specialist at an educational institution in Radviliškis, of sexually harassing nine girls, LRT reported. The court sentenced him to one and a half years of restricted liberty without intensive supervision.

He must take part in a behaviour correction programme while serving his sentence and compensate the victims for non-pecuniary damage within one year of the judgment becoming final. The court awarded the nine victims a total of 2,200 euros. It also barred Bielskis for two years from working in institutions with minors or undertaking certain activities involving them.

The court rejected the defence’s request for the state to reimburse more than 10,000 euros in legal fees. Bielskis denied the charges, saying he had always treated the children respectfully. The court said its findings were based on consistent evidence, including testimony from the victims, witnesses and the victims’ legal representatives.

The court treated the conduct as a single continuing offence from September 1, 2022, to January 26, 2024, citing its repeated and systematic nature. The case was heard in closed sessions. The judgment is not final and may be appealed.

The Šiauliai Regional Prosecutor’s Office sent the case to court in autumn 2024. The investigation began on February 23, 2024, after a prosecutor overturned a police investigator’s decision not to open a pre-trial investigation. Media reports said Radviliškis district mayor Kazimieras Račkauskis contacted police after learning of the teacher’s alleged conduct, and that the school’s leadership at the time may not have responded to complaints.