Social affairs minister calls for patience in infant death case

Lithuania’s Minister of Social Security and Labour Inga Ruginienė has urged patience following the death of a two-month-old infant at Kaunas Clinics, stating that a full assessment of the family situation requires more information and facts.

“First and foremost, I want to express my sincere condolences to the family for the loss of their child. This is a tremendous tragedy, so in this situation, we must first remain sensitive to the family and avoid rushing to judgments,” Ruginienė told the 15min news portal on Thursday.

She added that authorities are currently investigating the circumstances of the case, including the infant’s death. “We must wait for the facts and more information, and only then can we objectively and responsibly assess both the situation in the family and the actions of the institutions involved, as well as the decisions made,” the minister said.

According to 15min, the family learned of a decision by the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service to remove all seven children, including the deceased girl, from their care. The service stated that the decision was made before they were informed of the infant’s death.

A lawyer representing the parents, Dalia Jasevičienė, said the child’s mother had arrived at Kaunas Clinics with the ailing infant, where a hospital social worker, without waiting for a diagnosis and observing only symptoms, contacted the Child Rights Protection Service over concerns about the mother’s behaviour. After verifying the information with the hospital, the service decided to remove the child from the family.

Jasevičienė noted that the decision applied to all seven children in the family but has not yet been confirmed by a court. She said the decision to remove the children was made on July 27, while the infant’s death was reported on July 28.

The State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service said the decision to remove the other six children from the Ukmergė family could be reversed if the parents agree to cooperate. The family has been known to child protection authorities since 2018.