The media reports that the most serious accusations were directed at 56-year-old Tadas Švedavičius. He was appointed as the pastor of the Dubičiai Parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus last year and worked there until December 19, 2025. His dismissal was not publicly announced. Previously, he worked in three other parishes in the Trakai and Šalčininkai districts.
“The essence of the charges against the clergyman is as follows, i.e., the charges relate to 34 intentional misdemeanors, serious and very serious crimes, including those concerning freedom and inviolability of decision, as well as crimes against children and episodes of crimes against morality,” informed Justas Laucius, chief prosecutor of the Vilnius District Prosecutor’s Office.
He detailed that the suspicions against the clergyman in two episodes were for possession of pornographic content depicting a child, for 13 episodes involving encouraging a child to drink, and for 9 episodes of exploiting a child for pornography.
“Also, charges were filed for 4 episodes of molesting a person under 16 years old. Additionally, 3 episodes of satisfying sexual passion violating the sexual freedom and inviolability of a minor for payment were incriminated,” the prosecutor listed.
According to him, the priest is also accused of raping two minors, as well as one episode classified in the Criminal Code as a very serious crime – sexual rape of a minor.
J. Laucius stated that the most severe of these crimes carries a penalty of up to 15 years imprisonment.
He mentioned that the crimes were committed over 23 years.
“From the case data, it follows that these crimes were committed, as stated in the indictment, from 2002 until 2025, i.e., 23 years.
Most of these crimes were committed in places belonging to the Roman Catholic Church where this priest lived at the time (…), crimes were committed in six different locations in Lithuania,” said J. Laucius.
According to him, not all, but most of the crimes were committed “within the territory of the Vilnius Archdiocese.”
Eleven persons who were between 12 and 18 years old at the time of the crimes have been recognized as victims in the case.
The accused is currently subject to preventive measures – a written promise not to leave and confiscation of personal documents.
The case also includes civil claims, thus restricting the suspect’s rights to real estate.
According to “Delfi” information, 51-year-old Ryšardas Peciunas is accused of possession of child pornography. He has worked in the Paluknys St. John the Baptist and Rūdiškės Sacred Heart of Jesus parishes. T. Švedavičius also worked in these parishes at different times.
R. Peciunas was dismissed from the positions of pastor of the Rūdiškės Sacred Heart of Jesus and Paluknys St. John the Baptist parishes in June 2025.
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“In this case, this priest is accused together with another person. He has been assigned a preventive measure – a written promise not to leave,” said J. Laucius.
According to him, the strictest punishment for this crime is four years imprisonment. There are no victims in this case.
The prosecutor confirmed that it was precisely in this earlier case, already submitted to the court, that the evidence collected led to the investigation made public today, in which the priest is suspected of much more serious sexual crimes.
“We are simply talking about pornographic content depicting a child or a person presented as a child. We are talking about pornography,” explained the prosecutor.
According to J. Laucius, although there is no data that both priests committed crimes together, “the cases are related.”
“According to the charges, each committed the crimes incriminated to them separately from each other; the crimes incriminated to the first priest are not related to the crimes incriminated to the second priest,” asserted J. Laucius.
Why don’t they want to reveal?
The Vilnius Archdiocese refuses to name the two priests whose cases have been submitted to court, accusing the clergymen of sexual crimes against children.
“Today I do not want to say any names; we primarily care about the people who have been harmed. Therefore, we ask and urge not to search for, associate, or name any specific names so that the victims do not suffer,” said Vilnius Archdiocese coordinator for the protection of minors and vulnerable adults, priest Mykolas Sotničenka, to journalists on Tuesday.
“First and foremost, the victims are important to us, so that the people who suffered from specific individuals are protected, that their names are not disclosed, that they find help and can continue to live the life they can with all our support,” he added.
The priest also emphasized that the Church and the Vilnius Archdiocese are “experiencing great pain and a moment of truth” due to the revealed cases of exploitation.
“As a priest, I am ashamed that in a space where minors should be safe, and in the Church, which seeks to ensure safe places for every person, such cases have occurred,” noted M. Sotničenka.
The Prosecutor’s Office also refuses to disclose the names of the accused.
J. Laucius says that the presumption of innocence is followed, so the priest’s identity will not be publicized for now. However, this must be done once the verdict becomes final.
“No, not excessive. We do not hide it (the identity – ed.). But we use the right at this stage not to disclose it. Life is multifaceted; I do not rule out the possibility that it will happen that when the court announces the verdict or earlier, the person’s identity, especially if found guilty, will be clear,” he assured.
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