Child rights agency to check church workers’ QR codes
Monday 17th August 2026 on 12:45 in
Lithuania
Lithuania’s State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service will check the QR codes of all people working with children in church communities, including volunteers and service providers, LRT reported.
“We will check the QR codes of people in all church communities who volunteer or provide services,” the service’s director, Ilma Skuodienė, told reporters after a government meeting on Monday.
Working with bishops, child rights specialists also plan to organise training in two archdioceses and five dioceses. The sessions will cover sexual violence, inappropriate behaviour, signs that a child may be experiencing sexual abuse and how adults should act to protect minors.
“We are arranging the training and will present it soon. We hope for active participation from volunteers and people working in parishes or providing other services,” Skuodienė said.
Social Security and Labour Minister Inga Ruginienė said on Monday that checks of the special QR codes required for working with children would be tightened among priests.
Under rules in force since November 2024, people who want to work with children must have a special QR code confirming that they have not been convicted of serious or sexual crimes.
In early August, law enforcement authorities announced charges against two priests in cases involving sexual crimes against minors. One priest is accused of sexual crimes against 11 minors. Investigators recorded 34 criminal episodes allegedly committed over 23 years, from 2002 to 2025. His case has been referred to the Vilnius Regional Court.
In the other case, which has been referred to the Vilnius City District Court, a priest is accused of possessing child pornography. There are no victims in that case.
According to the Delfi news portal and the Liteko court scheduling system, the accused are Tadas Švedavičius and Ryšardas Peciunas. The Vilnius Archdiocese said it was cooperating responsibly with law enforcement, conducting canonical investigations and noted that both accused priests remained suspended from their duties.