Grandmother faces backlash after speaking out about 14-year-old’s alleged abuse in socialization center

A grandmother who spoke publicly about her 14-year-old granddaughter’s alleged sexual abuse at the Kunionių branch of the Gruzdžiai Socialization Center now faces legal threats, reports LRT.lt.

The girl, a resident of the center, accused a much older male employee of sexual misconduct in May. According to the grandmother, the child reported that the man, a 60-year-old night guard, touched her inappropriately and made sexual advances. However, staff at the center dismissed the girl’s claims, with one social pedagogue alleging the teenager appeared the next morning in revealing clothing, suggesting she was fabricating the incident.

The girl’s father, who does not have custody, filed a police report after learning of the allegations from his partner, with whom the girl has a close relationship. Police initially refused to investigate but later opened a pre-trial inquiry after repeated complaints.

Kuršėnų Family Home, the institution responsible for the girl’s temporary guardianship, has restricted the grandmother’s access to her granddaughter, though the father and his partner retain visitation rights. The home has also filed complaints with the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service, the Child Rights Protection Controller, and the police, accusing the grandmother of improperly disclosing the girl’s personal information.

“They are threatening us, saying they will take us to court for revealing this information. We wrote to the media, we contacted MPs. Our lawyer says we are in the right, but they are trying to intimidate us. My son called me, saying his hands and feet are shaking,” the grandmother said. She added that her visitation rights were revoked solely because she raised the issue.

Kuršėnų Family Home director Kristina Navickienė confirmed that the institution has taken action over the alleged disclosure of the girl’s data and that restrictions on the grandmother’s visits were imposed. She stated that the reasoning would be provided in a written response.

Seimo Savižudybių ir smurto prevencijos komisijos (Seimas Committee on Suicide and Violence Prevention) members visited the Gruzdžiai Socialization Center this week. Committee member Agnė Bilotaitė described her initial impression as “very bad,” noting that existing protocols appear ineffective in practice.