Ukmergė district mayor says family of deceased infant rejects vaccines and medical care

The mayor of Ukmergė district municipality, Darius Varnas, has stated that a large family in his district, whose infant daughter died on Sunday, refuses medical services and opposes vaccinations, LRT reports.

Varnas told ELTA that the family, which has been under scrutiny, recently had all six remaining children removed by child protection authorities due to identified risks. The mayor confirmed he has been in contact with the father, who informed him of the infant’s death on Sunday.

“They previously lived in social housing for six years and on October 7, 2025, refused it without explanation. They moved to a homestead surrounded by forest,” Varnas said.

According to the mayor, the family rents part of a house on the property, which he has visited. “The house is certainly not in good condition. I had to stay there. There is a cross erected in memory of the linguist Zigmas Zinkevičius. We received complaints that the family was doing something there, and that cross was surrounded,” Varnas said.

He acknowledged that various stories circulate about the family, including an alleged past incident where a child was born and supposedly buried without notification. “The police came with dogs to search two years ago, but nothing was found,” Varnas said.

The mayor described the family as living differently from mainstream society, rejecting vaccines and medical care. “They say they don’t need any vaccines or doctors because children develop natural immunity. They claim they are healthy because of this, although there are children who may not be healthy. They give birth at home,” Varnas said.

He added that the children attend alternative schools focused on nature rather than traditional institutions. One such school in Ukmergė district is officially registered. While the family received some supervision and support from social services while in social housing, the situation changed after they moved to the forest homestead. “Everything was fine, but when they moved into nature, various unusual things started,” Varnas said.

Social Security and Labour Minister Inga Ruginienė said more information is needed to objectively assess the situation. “First, I want to express my sincere condolences to the family for the loss of the child. This is a great tragedy, so in this situation, we must first remain empathetic to the family and not rush to judgments,” she told 15min.

“We are currently clarifying all the circumstances of this case, including an investigation into the child’s death. We must wait for the facts and more information before we can objectively and responsibly assess both the situation in the family and the actions of the institutions and the decisions made,” Ruginienė said.