Court upholds suspended sentence for rape of minor in Anykščiai

Panevėžys Regional Court has upheld a suspended three-year prison sentence for a young man who raped a 15-year-old girl at a horror amusement park in Anykščiai district, LRT reported, citing the court.

The court rejected appeals filed by the prosecutor, the victim’s lawyer and the defendant’s lawyer. The ruling, issued on Friday, is now final, according to Jolita Gudelienė, an adviser to the chair of the Panevėžys Regional Court responsible for media and public relations.

The Utena District Court had sentenced the man to three years in prison but suspended the sentence for two years. It ordered him to start working or studying, or register with the Employment Service, within two months of the judgment becoming final. He must also take part in a behaviour correction programme, observe a curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. for six months unless the restriction is related to work or studies, and participate in programmes aimed at changing violent behaviour.

The man was also convicted of causing a minor health impairment to the girl and ordered to pay her 5,000 euros in compensation.

The first-instance court said it had taken into account the absence of mitigating or aggravating circumstances, the fact that the defendant had no previous convictions or administrative penalties in the past five years, and his positive character references. He had been a volunteer in the Lithuanian Armed Forces and a young member of the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union, had received awards for his military service and community activities, and was not registered with psychiatric services.

The case concerned an incident in October 2024. The man was working as an instructor and assistant worker at the horror amusement park and was dressed as a clown when he took the girl by the hand, led her to the park’s Ribbon Maze and raped her. He denied the offence, but the court found his guilt proven by the evidence, including evidence that he had used physical violence against the victim.

The assault took place during an excursion programme in which children were expected to walk through mazes and experience scares.