Two priests of the Vilnius Archdiocese – Tadas Švedavičius and Ryšardas Peciunas – are accused of sexual crimes against children.
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The latter is accused of child pornography, while the charges against the former are much more serious, including sexual assault, which carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison.
At the beginning of the week, Prime Minister M. Sinkevičius spoke out about this scandal, and the Speaker of Parliament J. Olekas also commented, but the highest-ranking official in the country, President G. Nausėda, remains silent.
Received criticism
On Friday, this silence of the president was criticized by public figure and journalist Rita Miliūtė.
She wrote that G. Nausėda “kept silent about what the victims of the priests and their relatives felt.”
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“Nothing is needed, just to stick your head out of your cubicle and say that pedophilia in the church is unforgivable, as it is anywhere else, and that instead of praying or moving suspected pedophiles from one parish to another, those who abuse and assault children should be investigated and punished,” said R. Miliūtė.
Will speak on Monday
15min contacted the Presidential Office on Friday morning with a request to comment on the scandal that shook Lithuania.
However, in the evening, the president’s representative Ridas Jasiulionis informed 15min that G. Nausėda will most likely comment on it only on Monday.
