Child rights ombudsperson says authority does not shield priests from accountability

Lithuania’s child rights ombudsperson Alina Jakavonienė said allegations of sexual offences against minors by Roman Catholic priests were shocking, but should also encourage victims to speak out. LRT reported her comments.

“Victims of sexual abuse should not be the ones who fear or feel ashamed. The abusers should,” Jakavonienė said in a social media post.

She said it was not too late for people who remained silent to come forward, adding that authority was not immunity and that a victim’s testimony did not lose its importance merely because many years had passed.

In one case sent to court, a priest is accused of 34 criminal acts. Eleven people have been recognised as victims, and they were between 12 and 18 years old when the alleged offences took place. According to prosecutors, the alleged crimes span 23 years, from 2002 to 2025.

Jakavonienė stressed that the guilt of specific individuals would be determined by a court and that the presumption of innocence must be respected.

At the same time, she said the period covered by the allegations raised questions about whether children could safely speak out when the person they might report was trusted, respected or held a prominent position.

“The more the people around them trust someone and the greater that person’s authority, the harder it may be for a child to resist them, question their behaviour or speak about it,” Jakavonienė wrote.

She said responsibility for exposing abuse could not be left to children. Adults should clearly teach children to recognise inappropriate behaviour, understand that their bodies belong to them and know that they can and should tell a trusted adult about inappropriate touching, requests or secrets that pressure them to remain silent.

Children should understand that no adult, whether a family member, teacher, coach, clergyman or another authority figure, has the right to exploit their trust, vulnerability or silence, she said.

Jakavonienė also said adults could not remain silent. Alleged sexual violence against a child must not be concealed or handled behind closed doors within a family, school, sports organisation, religious community or any other community.

She said internal procedures, hierarchies or an institution’s own assessment of the circumstances could not replace the duty to inform competent state authorities about a possible criminal offence against a child.

“Reporting is not the same as accusing someone. Reporting gives those responsible for investigating the opportunity to verify the information, establish what happened and protect the child,” she said.

She added that the duty to report was established by law and that, in cases set out by law, failure to report a known serious crime could also result in criminal liability.

Some children experiencing sexual violence still remain silent, Jakavonienė said, while some people speak about abuse suffered during childhood only many years later.