(LITHUANIA)
LRT [Vilnius, Lithuania]
August 21, 2026
By BNS, LRT.lt
Lithuania’s prime minister and parliamentary speaker have both pushed back against calls for a large-scale independent investigation into sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, even as two priests face criminal charges over alleged offences against children, though the two men have framed their caution differently.
Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius said on Friday that the decision was not one for politicians to make at all.
“Church leaders can decide on the necessity of such an investigation. State governance is separate from Church governance; these are entirely separate areas,” he told reporters, adding that Lithuania’s rule-of-law principles meant politicians should not interfere in decisions by Church hierarchs.
Meanwhile, Parliamentary Speaker Juozas Olekas took a different line, saying the priority was to let the courts do their work first and then consider if additional probes are necessary.
“I would not say that it is needed now. We need to wait for the court processes. Let the judges do their work and we will see if additional actions are required,” he said, speaking after a meeting with Vilnius Metropolitan Archbishop Gintaras Grušas.
He called for independent experts to be included in any internal Church investigations to improve transparency and public trust, and stressed that the issue of protecting children from sexual abuse “is not just a matter for the Church.”
Olekas said he had requested data from the Prosecutor General on the number of people convicted of sexual offences in 2025, broken down by profession.
Archbishop Grušas, for his part, said the time was not yet right for a broad independent inquiry, though he did not rule one out in future. The current priority, he said, should be protecting potential victims and preventing further crimes.
The cases driving the debate
The commentary follows criminal proceedings against two Catholic priests this summer.
In the more serious case, priest Tadas Švedavičius faces charges of sexual offences against 11 minors across 34 criminal episodes, allegedly committed over 23 years between 2002 and 2025. The offences range from forcing children to consume alcohol to sexual assault. The case has been referred to the Vilnius Regional Court.
In a separate case before the Vilnius City District Court, priest Ryšardas Pečiūnas is charged with possession of child pornography. There are no identified victims in that case.
The cases have intensified a broader public debate about the need for a sex offender registry in Lithuania, which does not currently have one.
Further reading
2026.08.20 09:28
Vilnius archbishop says Lithuania not ready for investigation into church sexual abuse
2026.08.13 11:40
Lithuanian PM demands Church cooperation after priests charged with child sex offenses
2026.02.18 11:16
Lithuania’s two former PMs get questioned in separate criminal probes