Lithuanian government reviews child protection system after abuse cases

Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius is convening a meeting on Monday to assess the effectiveness of the child protection system following a rise in cases involving minors as victims of crime and violence, LRT reported.

Representatives of the Interior Ministry, the Ministry of Social Security and Labour, the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, and the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service have been invited to the meeting.

“Cases involving possible sexual crimes against minors have been referred to the prosecutor’s office. We have also recently seen cases of violence between minors. These are very serious signals that raise the question of whether our child protection system is really working as it should,” Sinkevičius wrote on social media on Friday.

The prime minister said the meeting should determine where the problem lies and whether legislation needs to be changed or more attention should be given to its implementation.

According to BNS, the cases of two priests accused of sexual crimes against children were referred to courts this summer. One priest is accused of sexual crimes against 11 minors. Law enforcement authorities have identified 34 criminal episodes, ranging from forcing children to consume alcohol to sexually assaulting them.

The alleged crimes took place over 23 years, from 2002 to 2025. The case has been referred to the Vilnius Regional Court.

In another case referred to the Vilnius City District Court, a second priest is accused of possessing child pornography. There are no victims in that case.

Earlier, reports also emerged of violence involving minors. In mid July, a teenage girl was beaten by her peers in Poetry Park in Marijampole. Other people nearby watched and filmed the incident, and a recording showing the violence spread on social media that same evening.