“The video interviews of the three minor victims were reviewed today. The viewing of the video of the fourth victim’s interrogation has been postponed until the advocate can participate in the viewing of the recording,” Jolita Gudelienė, representative of the Panevėžys District Court, told Elta.
According to her, on Monday, the court also started reviewing the videotapes of the interviews of minor witnesses in the case.
The next court hearing in the case is scheduled for October 2.
In this case, the victims themselves do not directly participate in the court proceedings, they are represented by their parents and lawyers.
ELTA reminds that in June the court allowed the accused K. Bartoševičius to leave Lithuania during the summer period he requested. The court also temporarily returned K. Bartošević’s personal documents, indicating that he must return the identity card to the court by August 21. If the accused had not done so, he could have been subject to stricter pre-trial detention measures. The defendant kept his promise and returned the documents by the specified deadline.
K. Bartošević is subject to two pre-trial detention measures – documents were taken from him, and he has also signed a pledge not to leave his place of residence. In the spring, the documents were also temporarily returned to him while the elections were held in the country.
More than a year ago, in 2023 in July, the pre-trial investigation against the former MP K. Bartoševičius was completed, the case regarding possible sexual crimes against children was transferred to the court. K. Bartoševičius is accused of sexual abuse of children (2 episodes), molestation of a person under the age of 16 (4 episodes) and minor health impairment of young children (4 episodes).
According to the prosecutor’s office, there are four victims in the case who were possibly minors at the time of the crimes committed against them.
K. Bartoševičius, a member of the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats faction in the Seimas at the time, announced last year, on January 23, that he was renouncing his mandate as a member of the Seimas due to personal reasons. Later that day, the prosecutor’s office announced that an investigation had been opened against him for possible sexual crimes against minors.
According to the prosecutor’s office, the available data of the pre-trial investigation allow us to suspect that the criminal acts were committed while the suspect was a member of the Seimas.
The news portal “Delfi” announced that it is suspected that K. Bartoševičius molested the pupils of the boys’ and youth choir “Ažuoliukas”.
2024-09-02 20:35:32