Lithuania's leaders hold back on wider Church abuse inquiry
Lithuania's prime minister and parliamentary speaker are resisting calls for an immediate broad independent investigation into sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, even as two priests face criminal charges over offences against children.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius and Parliamentary Speaker Juozas Olekas on Friday both voiced reluctance about launching a large-scale independent inquiry into sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, though each explained his caution differently.
Sinkevičius argued the decision is not for politicians to make at all, since state and Church governance are entirely separate spheres, and only Church leaders can decide whether such an investigation is necessary. He said Lithuania's rule-of-law principles require politicians to stay out of decisions made by Church hierarchs.
Olekas took a somewhat different approach, saying the courts should first be allowed to finish their work before any decision is made on further investigations. He made the comment after meeting with Vilnius Metropolitan Archbishop Gintaras Grušas. Olekas called for independent experts to be brought into any internal Church investigations to strengthen transparency and public trust, adding that protecting children from sexual abuse is not solely a Church matter. He also said he had asked the Prosecutor General for data on how many people were convicted of sexual offences in 2025, broken down by profession.
Archbishop Grušas said the timing is not yet right for a broad independent inquiry, though he did not rule one out for the future. He said the current focus should be on protecting potential victims and preventing further offences.
The cases behind the debate
The discussion follows criminal proceedings launched this summer against two Catholic priests. In the more serious case, priest Tadas Švedavičius is charged with sexual offences against 11 minors across 34 criminal episodes allegedly committed over 23 years, from 2002 to 2025, ranging from forcing children to drink 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 possessing child pornography; no victims have been identified in that case.
Both cases have fuelled a wider public debate over whether Lithuania needs a sex offender registry, which it currently lacks.
