According to the Minister of Social Security and Labour Inga Ruginienė, until now the only such center operated in Vilnius, so children from other regions of Lithuania had to travel to the capital for specialized assistance.
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“We had a huge problem when children and families, being quite far from Vilnius, had many inconveniences with such painful experiences traveling to Vilnius to receive the necessary help. Today we openly say that it is not the child and family who must rush after help, but the help must be closer to the child and family,” the politician said at the opening.
As BNS wrote, the center operating in Klaipėda will carry out actions necessary for the criminal process under one roof – examination of the body of a child who has experienced violence, interview with a psychologist in a child-appropriate environment, psychological assessment. Continuous psychological and psychotherapeutic assistance will also be provided to children and their relatives.
“This center in Klaipėda nevertheless expands the possibility for as many children as possible to find help. 422 cases seem like a very large number and today it is not only a number but also very painful stories and very painful experiences,” emphasized I. Ruginienė.
According to the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service, last year 422 children experienced sexual violence, and 165 cases had already been recorded this year by July. According to the director of the service, Ilma Skuodienė, these numbers may actually be even higher.
“The numbers are significant, but it may be that they are not all identified and recognized yet. Today it is especially important to talk about prevention, recognition, and reporting,” said the head of the service.
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“We will put all efforts into the service, into the pre-trial investigation, help officers interview the child, if there is a need to examine, assess psychologically, provide all necessary further psychotherapeutic assistance so that the child can survive this traumatic, difficult experience, help their family members, and pay very close attention to recognition and prevention,” she added.
According to I. Skuodienė, it is expected to reach more than 10,000 children who would be given knowledge on how to recognize sexual violence, set boundaries, and report inappropriate behavior.
“I hope that these homes will be a place not only about numbers but truly saved children’s lives and the child will be able to say: ‘I was accepted here, seen, heard, and I can live on,’” she said.
BNS wrote that this summer cases of two priests accused of sexual crimes against children were handed over to the courts.
Also in July, an employee of the Gruzdžiai Children’s Socialization Center in the Kėdainiai district, who allegedly harassed a teenager, was suspended from duties.
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