Lithuanian court upholds 7-year prison sentence for ex-MP Bartoševičius in child abuse case

The defence team for former Lithuanian MP Kristijonas Bartoševičius will appeal his seven-year prison sentence for child sexual abuse to the Supreme Court, his lawyer confirmed on Thursday, according to LRT.

“We will most likely appeal to the Supreme Court, but first we need to review the Court of Appeal’s ruling. There will be a cassation appeal,” Olegas Šibkovas, Bartoševičius’ lawyer, told the Lithuanian news agency ELTA. He added that the Supreme Court does not re-examine evidence but assesses legal application, and appeals are first reviewed by a selection panel.

Šibkovas expressed doubt that the sentence could be suspended pending appeal, noting such requests require exceptional circumstances. “A suspension isn’t just a request—it must be justified. From my experience, this is extremely rare,” he said. Neither Bartoševičius nor his lawyer attended Thursday’s hearing, with Šibkovas citing other commitments and Bartoševičius reportedly unwilling to appear alone.

The Lithuanian Court of Appeal upheld the seven-year sentence for sexual crimes against minors, rejecting the defence’s appeal. Judge Linas Šiukšta stated that Bartoševičius’ guilt was “beyond doubt,” involving four victims, with one abused over two years. The ruling also bars Bartoševičius from working with minors for five years post-release and orders him to pay €32,000 in damages to victims.

Prosecutors had argued the evidence—including victim testimony, video recordings, and expert reports—proved Bartoševičius committed all charged offences. The appeal court partially granted the prosecutor’s request to increase compensation for two victims.

Bartoševičius, a former member of the Homeland Union–Lithuanian Christian Democrats, resigned from parliament in January 2023 amid the investigation. The pre-trial probe concluded in July 2023, leading to his prosecution for alleged sexual crimes against children.