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{{short description|Lithuanian politician}} |
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{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2017}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}} |
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{{Infobox officeholder |
{{Infobox officeholder |
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| name = Neringa |
| name = Neringa Venckienė |
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| image |
| image = |
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| caption = Picture by Juozas Valiusaitis |
| caption = Picture by Juozas Valiusaitis |
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| office = [[Seimas|Member of the 11th Seimas of Lithuania]] |
| office = [[Seimas|Member of the 11th Seimas of Lithuania]] |
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| primeminister = [[Algirdas Butkevicius]] |
| primeminister = [[Algirdas Butkevicius]] |
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| term_start = 16 November 2012 |
| term_start = 16 November 2012 |
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| term_end = 19 June 2014 (Impeached) |
| term_end = 19 June 2014 (Impeached) |
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| predecessor = |
| predecessor = |
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| successor = [[Gintaras Aleknonis]] (refused to be sworn in) |
| successor = [[Gintaras Aleknonis]] (refused to be sworn in) |
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| successor2 = [[Stasys Brundza]] |
| successor2 = [[Stasys Brundza]] |
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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|5|21|df=y}} |
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|5|21|df=y}} |
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| birth_place = [[Kaunas]], [[Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic|Lithuanian SSR]], [[Soviet Union]] |
| birth_place = [[Kaunas]], [[Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic|Lithuanian SSR]], [[Soviet Union]] |
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| residence |
| residence = |
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| death_date = |
| death_date = |
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| death_place = |
| death_place = |
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| party = [[Way of Courage]] |
| party = [[Way of Courage]] |
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| spouse = Aidas Venckus (until 2014) |
| spouse = Aidas Venckus (until 2014) |
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| alma_mater = [[Vilnius University]] |
| alma_mater = [[Vilnius University]] |
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| profession = Judge |
| profession = Judge |
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| allegiance = |
| allegiance = |
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| branch = |
| branch = |
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| serviceyears = |
| serviceyears = |
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| rank = |
| rank = |
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}} |
}} |
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'''Neringa |
'''Neringa Venckienė''' (born 21 May 1971 in [[Kaunas]]) is a former Lithuanian judge and member of the [[Seimas]] of Lithuania. |
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In 2008–2009, Venckienė's brother [[Case of Drasius Kedys|Drąsius Kedys]] accused three men of sexually molesting his four-year old daughter. One of the men and the girl's aunt were murdered in October 2009. Kedys became the prime suspect but he was found dead in June 2010. The girl's custody was initially awarded to Venckienė. The courts later awarded the custody to the girl's mother. These court ruling caused a popular uproar in Lithuania and members of the public started a vigil guarding the house where the girl lived so that the police could not take her away. Armed riot police forcibly took away the girl on 17 May 2012. Few days later, charges were brought against Venckienė who resigned from her job as a judge. She became leader of the new [[The Way of Courage]] political party and was elected to the [[Seimas]] in the [[2012 Lithuanian parliamentary election|October 2012 elections]]. In April 2013, the Seimas voted to remove Venckienė's legal immunity and she fled to the United States seeking [[political asylum]]. In June 2014, Venckienė was impeached and her mandate was removed. In November 2019, she was extradited back to Lithuania, where she was released on bail and is tried for relative minor offenses. She was found guilty in 2021 and sentenced to 21 months in prison but released due to time already served. |
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==Early life and education== |
==Early life and education== |
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Venckienė was born as Neringa Kedytė in [[Kaunas]], [[Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic]] in 1971. |
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In 1989, she graduated from |
In 1989, she graduated from Garliava 1st High School with high honors. From 1989 to 1995, she studied at the Law Faculty of [[Vilnius University]]. From 2005, she studied for her doctorate at [[Mykolas Romeris University]]. |
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From 1995 to 1999, |
From 1995 to 1999, Venckienė worked as a [[jurist]] at the Lithuanian University of Agriculture (now [[Aleksandras Stulginskis University]]). Between 1999 and 2007 she worked as a Kaunas District Court judge and served as an appeal judge at Kaunas Regional Court from 2007 to 2012. |
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[[File:JudgeVenckiene.png|thumb|right|Judge Venckiene]] |
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==Pedophilia case== |
==Pedophilia case== |
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===Pedophilia and murders=== |
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Venckiene's brother, [[Case of Drasius Kedys|Drąsius Kedys]], and his former girlfriend, Laimutė Stankūnaitė, had an out-of-wedlock daughter in February 2004. The couple split up in 2006. His former girlfriend originally obtained the custody of the girl. But later gave custody to the father, stating that she could not afford to take care of the child. |
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{{main|Case of Drąsius Kedys}} |
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Venckienė's brother [[Case of Drasius Kedys|Drąsius Kedys]] (b. 1972), and his former girlfriend, Laimutė Stankūnaitė (b. 1986) had an out-of-wedlock daughter in February 2004. The couple split up in 2006. His former girlfriend originally obtained the custody of the girl. But later gave custody to the father, stating that she could not afford to take care of the child. |
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On 29 November 2008, Kedys submitted a formal complaint to the police, claiming that Andrius Ūsas, an advisor to the speaker of the Parliament, paid Stankūnaitė to sexually molest his daughter |
On 29 November 2008, Kedys submitted a formal complaint to the police, claiming that Andrius Ūsas, an advisor to the speaker of the Parliament, paid Stankūnaitė to sexually molest his daughter. In February 2009, Kedys further pressed accusations against Violeta Naruševičienė, a sister of Stankūnaitė, claiming the former had allowed men to molest his 4-year-old daughter. In July 2009, Kedys also accused Jonas Furmanavičius, a district judge, and an unidentified individual known only as Aidas, of partaking in the molestation. All of those people (except for the unidentified Aidas) professed their innocence, and in turn accused Kedys of slander, criminal libel, and death threats.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/crime/lietuvai-gresia-pedofilijos-skandalas.d?id=23626830|title=Lietuvai gresia pedofilijos skandalas|author=|date=|website=DELFI|access-date=24 February 2019}}</ref> |
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On 5 October 2009, Furmanavičius and Naruševičienė were shot dead in Kaunas. Kedys became the prime suspect. The story caused an uproar in Lithuania, much of the public siding with Kedys: in the public mind, the case was seen as largely a father's futile attempts in pursuing justice and trying to protect his daughter, and by being driven to desperate measures by anger at the injustice. After six months of police search, Drąsius Kedys' body was found near [[Kaunas Reservoir]] on 20 April 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/nusikaltimaiirnelaimes/rastas-drasiaus-kedzio-kunas-atnaujinta-19-27-val-59-94111|title=Rastas Drąsiaus Kedžio kūnas (atnaujinta 9.05 val., nuotraukos)|author=|date=|website=15min.lt|access-date=24 February 2019}}</ref> According to the official report, the cause of death was "choking on his own vomit" whilst being heavily intoxicated. However, his relatives were convinced that Kedys had been murdered, pointing to some wounds on his body, and the fact that there was no vomit found on the scene.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ekspertai.eu/generaline-prokuratura-drasiaus-kedzio-nuzudymo-bendrinink/?id|title=Generalinė prokuratūra – Drąsiaus Kedžio nužudymo bendrininkė|author=|date=|website=www.ekspertai.eu|access-date=24 February 2019}}</ref> Ūsas, the main suspect in the pedophilia case, was officially charged with sexual molestation of a minor. However, he was found dead in June 2010. According to the police, he fell off his all-terrain vehicle and drowned in 8 inches of water. The death was ruled an accident. The court case against Ūsas continued. The court found him innocent in November 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/crime/teismas-dar-karta-reabilitavo-ausa-pedofilija-buvo-isgalvota.d?id=61116735|title=Teismas dar kartą reabilitavo A.Ūsą – pedofilija buvo išgalvota|author=|date=|website=DELFI|accessdate=24 February 2019}}</ref> |
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[[File:DrasiusKedysDaugter.jpg|thumb|left|Drasius Kedys]] |
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===Custody fight=== |
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In 2009, frustrated with the apparent lack of progress in official investigations and convinced that the case was being deliberately stonewalled, Kedys sent out some 200 DVDs to Lithuanian politicians, media outlets, and law-enforcement agencies, featuring homemade video footage of his daughter's explicit testimony against three "uncles". He promised to send out the subtitled version to Members of the European Parliament. Many sources criticized Kedys, who acted as the cameraman, for asking his daughter leading questions and heavily editing the film (it contains some 50 segments filmed over nine separate occasions)<ref>https://vimeo.com/66477375</ref>. |
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The custody of the girl was initially given to Kedys' sister Venckienė.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ve.lt/naujienos/kriminalai/d-kedzio-ir-l-stankunaites-dukra-kol-kas-lieka-pas-globeja/|title=D. Kedžio ir L. Stankūnaitės dukra kol kas lieka pas globėją|first=Dienraštis Vakaru|last=ekspresas|date=21 June 2010|website=Dienraštis Vakaru ekspresas|access-date=24 February 2019}}</ref> In May 2010, the court gave custody of the girl to the biological mother Stankūnaitė. Outraged by this decision, according to different sources, up to 2000 people surrounded Venckienė's home and would not let the police pass. After the continued protests and demonstrations, the court reversed its decision to transfer the custody of the girl to the mother. But in 2011, the custody was once again awarded to the biological mother. The vigil outside Venckienė's house started again.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/30210/|title=Court: Kedys' daughter should live with her mother|author=|date=|website=[[baltictimes.com]]|access-date=24 February 2019}}</ref> |
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On 23 March 2012, police surrounded the house and attempted to take the girl by force. The girl refused to go. The failed attempt was broadcast on national TV. People were outraged at the footage of the mother and her bodyguard attempting to pull the screaming girl away from the grandmother. This attempt was stopped by child protective services, stating that it was traumatizing the child. After 23 March the girl developed [[PTSD]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxUjZfBwzSk|title=Mergaitės paėmimas iš Venckų namų neįvyko (video iš Garliavos)|last=Alfa Vaizdas|date=23 March 2012|publisher=|access-date=24 February 2019|via=YouTube}}</ref> |
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[[File:Venckieneniece.jpg|thumb|right|Venckiene and her niece]] |
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At 6 am on 17 May 2012, 240 police officers went to Venckienė's home. The police shut down the roads, closed the local school, and enforced a lockdown of a 2-mile (3-km) perimeter around Venckienė's house. The protesters were pulled aside, 39 of them arrested. Police used rubber sticks, electric shock, police dogs, tear gas and rubber bullets. |
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4 separate commissions determined the girl's testimony to be truthful.<ref>https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/nusikaltimaiirnelaimes/d-kedzio-dukra-apklausta-dar-karta-59-76688</ref><ref>http://kauno.diena.lt/naujienos/nusikaltimai/nvenckiene-dkedzio-dukra-apklausta-jau-4-kartus-235445</ref><ref>https://www.tv3.lt/naujiena/624659/teisme-perziureti-sokiruojantys-d-kedzio-dukros-parodymai-papildyta-16-55</ref> But some critics argued that Kedys coached the girl to falsely testify.<ref>https://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/crime/teismas-dar-karta-reabilitavo-ausa-pedofilija-buvo-isgalvota.d?id=61116735</ref> |
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After a failed attempt to get in the house through the main entrance, the police broke the side glass door. Police turned off the security cameras inside the home. The girl was carried away screaming.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmuYUDkCCYg|title=Mergaitės kančios ( Išskirtiniai filmuoti kadrai iš gegužės 17d. ) (ENG sub.)|last=Neringa Venckiene|date=13 July 2012|publisher=|access-date=24 February 2019|via=YouTube}}</ref> |
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After the girl was transferred, the footage of the police operation went viral. Around 200 people spontaneously showed up to protest at the Presidential Palace in Vilnius.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bernardinai.lt/straipsnis/2012-05-17-prie-prezidenturos-protestuojama-del-mergaites-perdavimo-motinai/82366|title=Prie Prezidentūros protestuojama dėl mergaitės perdavimo motinai (papildyta)|author=|date=17 May 2012|website=Bernardinai.lt|access-date=24 February 2019}}</ref> Smaller protests occurred in other Lithuanian cities as well. President [[Dalia Grybauskaite]] addressed the nation, requesting an investigation into whether force was used against the girl. On 19 May, according to various sources, 1000–5000 Venckienė's supporters protested at the Presidential Palace in Vilnius.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/lietuva/drasiaus-kedzio-salininkai-vilniuje-susirinko-i-teisingumo-eisena-56-219869|title=Drąsiaus Kedžio šalininkai Vilniuje susirinko į violetinę "Teisingumo eiseną"|author=|date=|website=15min.lt|access-date=24 February 2019}}</ref> On the same day, the President attended a [[NATO]] Summit in Chicago. A few hundred Lithuanian-Americans surrounded Grybauskaite's car and would not let her pass.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/lietuva/dalios-grybauskaites-automobili-cikagoje-uzpuole-drasiaus-kedzio-salininkai-56-219851|title=Dalios Grybauskaitės automobilį Čikagoje užpuolė Drąsiaus Kedžio šalininkai|author=|date=|website=15min.lt|access-date=24 February 2019}}</ref> On 26 May, a few thousand Venckienė's supporters marched from the [[Seimas]] building to the Presidential Palace.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lietuvosdiena.lrytas.lt/aktualijos/2012/05/26/news/d-kedzio-salininku-mitingas-vilniaus-centre-l-stankunaites-remejai-isvadinti-parazitais-kliuvo-ir-zurnalistams-atnaujin-5244150/|title=D. Kedžio šalininkų mitingas Vilniaus centre: L. Stankūnaitės rėmėjai išvadinti parazitais, kliuvo ir žurnalistams (atnaujinta)|author=|date=26 May 2012|website=lrytas.lt|access-date=24 February 2019}}</ref> |
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On 5 October 2009, Furmanavičius and Naruševičienė were shot dead in Kaunas. Kedys became the prime suspect. On the same day, a nationwide search for Kedys was announced, which was soon followed by an announcement of an international search, as he was thought to have left the country shortly after the murders. Kedys' blind friend Raimundas Ivanauskas and his wife Eglė Barauskaitė were charged with accessory to murder. In 2016, Barauskaite was found to be innocent, Ivanauskas was found guilty and sentenced to 8 years in prison. |
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==Seimas, impeachment and extradition== |
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[[File:Firstattemptgirl.png|thumb|right|First attempt to transfer the girl, March 23]] |
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In March 2011, Venskienė was reprimanded by the Judicial Discipline and Ethics Commission because "Venckienė in her actions and statements in the public media violated Judges etiquette code of conduct regarding respecting a person, loyalty to the country, unbiasedness, selflessness, respect and example principles".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.delfi.lt/archive/etika-pazeidusiai-nvenckienei-teiseju-garbes-teismas-skyre-papeikima.d?id=42741063|title=Etiką pažeidusiai N.Venckienei Teisėjų garbės teismas skyrė papeikimą|author=|date=|website=DELFI|access-date=24 February 2019}}</ref> |
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On 23 May 2012, few days after the police forcibly removed her niece from the house in Garliava, six charges were brought against Venckienė, including not following a court order, assault, disrespecting the court.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bernardinai.lt/straipsnis/2012-05-23-generalinis-prokuroras-kreipesi-i-seima-del-n-venckienes-nelieciamybes-panaikinimo/82731|title=Generalinis prokuroras kreipėsi į Seimą dėl N. Venckienės neliečiamybės panaikinimo|author=|date=|website=Bernardinai.lt|access-date=24 February 2019}}</ref> According to the [[Constitution of Lithuania]], judges cannot be arrested or tried without the approval by the parliament. In June 2012, Venckienė resigned her judgeship after the parliament voted to remove her legal immunity.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ve.lt/naujienos/lietuva/lietuvos-naujienos/neringos-venckienes-prasymas-atleisti-is-teisejos-pareigu-766431/|title=Neringos Venckienės prašymas atleisti iš teisėjos pareigų|first=Dienraštis Vakaru|last=ekspresas|date=27 June 2012|website=Dienraštis Vakaru ekspresas|access-date=24 February 2019}}</ref> |
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The custody of the girl was given to Kedys' sister Venckiene.<ref>http://www.ve.lt/naujienos/kriminalai/d-kedzio-ir-l-stankunaites-dukra-kol-kas-lieka-pas-globeja/</ref> |
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Venckienė became the face of the new [[The Way of Courage]] political party. The goals include changes in the justice system, the establishment of trial by jury, and stricter punishments for corruption, rape and pedophilia.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://komentaras.lt/n-venckiene-kuria-partija-renkami-parasai-politines-partijos-„drasos-kelias“-ikurimui | title=N.Venckienė kuria partiją – renkami parašai politinės partijos "Drąsos kelias" įkūrimui | language=lt| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190226172740/http://komentaras.lt/n-venckiene-kuria-partija-renkami-parasai-politines-partijos-%E2%80%9Edrasos-kelias%E2%80%9C-ikurimui/ | archive-date=2019-02-26}}</ref> According to "Vilmorus" polls, Venckienė became one of the top ten politicians in the country. Media speculated about her run for the presidency in 2014, challenging [[Dalia Grybauskaitė]].<ref>{{cite web| url=https://lietuvosdiena.lrytas.lt/-13143799521312117989-prezidentės-globotinė-teisėja-n-venckienė-jos-varžovė.htm | title=Unknown}}{{Dead link|date=March 2022 | fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> In October 2012, Venckienė and six of her supporters were elected to the [[Seimas|Parliament of Lithuania]]. She was selected as the chairwoman of [[The Way of Courage]] faction.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vrk.lt/statiniai/puslapiai/2012_seimo_rinkimai/output_lt/rezultatai_daugiamand_apygardose/partijos_pirmumo_balsai4556.html|title=Balsavimo rezultatai daugiamandatėse apygardose. 2012 m. Lietuvos Respublikos Seimo rinkimai ir referendumas dėl naujos atominės elektrinės statybos Lietuvos Respublikoje|author=|date=|website=www.vrk.lt|access-date=24 February 2019}}</ref> |
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The story caused an uproar in Lithuania, much of the public siding with Kedys: in the public mind, the case was seen as largely a father's futile attempts in pursuing justice and trying to protect his daughter, and by being driven to desperate measures by anger at the injustice. Others questioned whether the killings were in fact commissioned by Kedys himself. |
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The parliament approved the prosecutors' request to remove Venckienė's legal immunity on 9 April 2013. She fled to the United States on the day of the removal of her immunity.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.alfa.lt/straipsnis/15150483/garsioji-begle-venckiene-pastebeta-cikagoje|title=Garsioji bėglė Venckienė pastebėta Čikagoje|last=Alfa.lt|date=|website=alfa.lt|access-date=24 February 2019}}</ref> In June 2014, Venckienė was impeached and her mandate removed. She was the first person to be impeached without being present or legally informed about the proceedings. [[Gintaras Aleknonis]], who was supposed to take Venckienė's place in parliament, refused to be sworn in.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/lietuva/gintaras-aleknonis-atsisako-dirbti-seime-vietoje-mandato-netekusios-neringos-venckienes-56-436033|title=Gintaras Aleknonis atsisako dirbti Seime, jį pakeis Stasys Brundza|author=|date=|website=15min.lt|access-date=24 February 2019}}</ref> |
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In February 2010, General Prosecutor [[Algimantas Valantinas]] resigned over public criticism of how he handled Kedys' case.<ref>https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/atsistatydina-generalinis-prokuroras-a-valantinas-55-83249</ref> |
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In 2015, the Lithuanian authorities requested the extradition of Venckienė back to Lithuania. At the time she faced 39 criminal charges, including illegal surveillance, disrespecting the national anthem, and public statements to infringe on sovereignty of Lithuania. Additional charges were brought against Venckienė, including an attempt to overthrow the government, spying, and a threat to the state. These charges were later dropped.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.alfa.lt/straipsnis/49880412/pedofilijos-istorijoje-nauja-byla-venckienes-gauja-kaltina-net-gresme-valstybei|title=Pedofilijos istorijoje – nauja byla: "Venckienės gaują" kaltina net grėsme valstybei|first=Dominykas Griežė |last=Alfa.lt|date=|website=alfa.lt|access-date=24 February 2019}}</ref> |
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After six months of police search, Drąsius Kedys' body was found near [[Kaunas Reservoir]] on April 20, 2010.<ref>https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/nusikaltimaiirnelaimes/rastas-drasiaus-kedzio-kunas-atnaujinta-19-27-val-59-94111</ref> According to the official report, the cause of death was "choking on his own vomit" whilst being heavily intoxicated. However, his relatives were convinced that Kedys had been murdered, pointing to some wounds on his body, and the fact the there was no vomit found on the scene.<ref>http://www.ekspertai.eu/generaline-prokuratura-drasiaus-kedzio-nuzudymo-bendrinink/</ref> |
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In February 2018, Venckienė was arrested in Chicago and detained in Chicago's federal prison.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/lietuva/jav-suimta-neringa-venckiene-ji-gali-buti-parsiusta-i-lietuva-56-930070|title=JAV suimta Neringa Venckienė, jos parsiuntimas į Lietuvą gali užtrukti ne vienus metus|author=|date=|website=15min.lt|access-date=24 February 2019}}</ref> On 18 April 2018, Venckienė, giving an interview to [[Associated Press]] stated that "they have no reason to have me back but to kill me".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/04/18/us/ap-us-jailed-lithuanian-pedophile-ring.html|title=APNewsBreak: Lithuanian Claims Pedophile Ring in Extradition|agency=Associated Press|date=18 April 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=20 April 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> American Judge Virginia Kendall refused to block Venckienė's extradition.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.dw.com/en/us-court-approves-extradition-of-lithuanian-ex-judge-neringa-venckiene/a-44655169 |title=US court approves extradition of Lithuanian ex-judge Neringa Venckiene |publisher=[[Deutsche Welle]] |date=12 July 2018}}</ref> She was extradited to Lithuania in November 2019.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://apnews.com/article/04c886e13deb42888f06abcbbd6c8586 |title=Lithuania ex-judge returns home after US extradition |first=Liudas |last=Dapkus |access-date=13 May 2021 |publisher=Associated Press |date=7 November 2019}}</ref> |
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On April 24, the body of Kedys was buried in Jonučiai cemetery. According to various media reports, some six to ten thousand people from across the country attended the ceremony.<ref>https://www.alfa.lt/straipsnis/10353597/drasiui-kedziui-skirtas-gedulas-buvo-violetines-spalvos</ref> |
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In Lithuania, she was released on a 10,000 euro bail and faces trial for relatively minor offences of hitting a person, refusing to obey a court order, and resisting a police officer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/6ea3b8a12a644a8ca0909eac860b8f6b|title=Lithuanian court frees on bail ex-judge after US extradition|website=[[Associated Press]]|date=19 November 2019}}</ref> In July 2021, Venckienė was found guilty on all charges and was sentenced to one year and nine months in prison. However, she was released as time already served under arrest exceeded the sentence.<ref name=guilty/> She was also ordered to pay 6,800 euros to the Lithuanian government for the extradition expenses as well as 6,300 euros to Stankūnaitė and 3,500 euros to two other individuals.<ref name=guilty>{{cite web |title=Venckienę teismas pripažino kalta, priteisė ekstradicijos išlaidas |url= https://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/lithuania/venckiene-teismas-pripazino-kalta-priteise-ekstradicijos-islaidas.d?id=87657845 |date=8 July 2021 |language=lt |author=BNS |publisher=[[Delfi.lt]] |access-date=22 August 2022}}</ref> Venckienė lost her case in the appeals court in January 2022 and appealed further to the [[Supreme Court of Lithuania]] in May 2022.<ref>{{cite web |first1=Ingrida |last1=Steniulienė |last2=BNS |title=Venckienė ir jos advokatas su skundais kreipėsi į Aukščiausiąjį Teismą |date=21 May 2022 |url=https://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/lithuania/venckiene-ir-jos-advokatas-su-skundais-kreipesi-i-auksciausiaji-teisma.d?id=90283491 |language=lt |publisher=[[Delfi.lt]] |access-date=22 August 2022}}</ref> |
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In May 2010, the court gave custody of the girl to the biological mother Stankunaite. Outraged by this decision, according to different sources, up to 2000 people surrounded Venckiene's home and would not let the police pass. |
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==International reaction== |
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Ūsas, the main suspect in the pedophilia case, was officially charged with sexual molestation of a minor. However, he was found dead in June 2010. According to the police, he fell off his all-terain vehicle and dronwed in 8 inches of water. The death was ruled an accident. The court case against Ūsas continued. The court found him innocent in November 2012.<ref>https://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/crime/teismas-dar-karta-reabilitavo-ausa-pedofilija-buvo-isgalvota.d?id=61116735</ref> |
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On 25 June 2018, U.S. Congressman [[Chris Smith (New Jersey politician)|Chris Smith]] from New Jersey introduced a private bill in the House of Representatives "for the relief of Judge Neringa Venckienė, who the Government of Lithuania seeks on charges related to her pursuit of justice against Lithuanian public officials accused of sexually molesting her young niece".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/neringa-venckiene-lithuanian-judge-extradition-chris-smith/|title=US House member introduces bill to free Lithuanian judge|author=|date=26 June 2018|website=suntimes.com|access-date=24 February 2019}}</ref> On 27 June, Congressman [[Randy Hultgren]] introduced an identical bill. Both bills are similarly short titled: "Give Judge Venckienė Her Day In Court Act".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/6257|title=H.R.6257 – 115th Congress (2017–2018): Give Judge Venckiene Her Day in Court Act|first=Randy|last=Hultgren|date=30 July 2018|website=www.congress.gov|access-date=24 February 2019}}</ref> |
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On 27 September, the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission held a hearing titled: "Politically Motivated (In)Justice – The Extradition Case of Judge Venckienė".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.csce.gov/international-impact/events/politically-motivated-injustice|title=Politically-Motivated (In)Justice|author=|date=25 September 2018|website=CSCE|access-date=24 February 2019}}</ref> The commission is independent U.S. government agency which was created 1975 to monitor Human Rights Violations and to encourage compliance with the [[Helsinki Final Act]]. The Government of Lithuania decided not to participate in the hearing. |
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After the continued protests and demonstrations, the court reversed its decision to transfer the custody of the girl to the mother. But in 2011, custody was once again awarded to the biological mother. The vigil outside Venckiene's house started again.<ref>https://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/30210/</ref> |
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On 2 February 2019, Rep. Smith re-introduced the "Give Judge Venckienė Her Day In Court Act" in the 116th Congress of the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1107/text|title = Text - H.R.1107 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): Give Judge Venckiene Her Day in Court Act|date = 22 March 2019}}</ref> In May 2020, after a classified video of the 2012 police operation surfaced – showing violence being used by police officers and Stankunaitė against the girl and Venckienė, Rep. Smith released a statement condemning Lithuania's actions and "[calling] on the Lithuanian government to cease the prosecution of Judge Venckienė".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=407772|title = Statement on the trial of Lithuanian Judge Neringa Venckiene|date = 25 May 2020}}</ref> |
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On March 23, 2012, police surrounded the house and attempted to take the girl by force. The girl refused to go. The failed attempt was broadcast on national TV. People were outraged at the footage of the mother and her bodyguard attempting to pull the screaming girl away from the grandmother. This attempt was stopped by child protective services, stating that it was traumatizing the child. After March 23 the girl developed [[PTSD]].<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxUjZfBwzSk</ref> |
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At 6am on 17 May 2012, 240 police officers went to Venckiene's home. The police shut down the roads, closed the local school, and enforced a lockdown of a 2-mile perimeter around Venckiene's house. The protesters were pulled aside, 39 of them arrested. Police used rubber sticks, electric shock, police dogs, tear gas and rubber bullets. |
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After a failed attempt to get in the house through the main entrance, the police broke the side glass door. Police turned off the security cameras inside the home. The girl was carried away screaming.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmuYUDkCCYg</ref> |
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[[File:May17garliava.jpg|thumb|left|Police operation, May 17. Second attempt to transfer the girl]] |
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After the girl was transferred, the footage of the police operation went viral. Around 200 people spontaneously showed up to protest at the Presidential Palace in Vilnius. <ref>http://www.bernardinai.lt/straipsnis/2012-05-17-prie-prezidenturos-protestuojama-del-mergaites-perdavimo-motinai/82366</ref> Smaller protests occurred in other Lithuanian cities as well. |
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President [[Dalia Grybauskaite]] addressed the nation, requesting an investigation into whether force was used against the girl. |
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On May 19, according to various sources, 1000-5000 Venckiene's supporters protested at the Presidential Palace in Vilnius.<ref>https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/lietuva/drasiaus-kedzio-salininkai-vilniuje-susirinko-i-teisingumo-eisena-56-219869</ref> On the same day, the President attended a [[NATO]] Summit in Chicago. A few hundred Lithuanian-Americans surrounded Grybauskaite's car and would not let her pass.<ref>https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/lietuva/dalios-grybauskaites-automobili-cikagoje-uzpuole-drasiaus-kedzio-salininkai-56-219851</ref> |
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On May 26, a few thousand Venckiene's supporters marched from the [[Seimas]] building to the Presidential Palace.<ref>https://lietuvosdiena.lrytas.lt/aktualijos/2012/05/26/news/d-kedzio-salininku-mitingas-vilniaus-centre-l-stankunaites-remejai-isvadinti-parazitais-kliuvo-ir-zurnalistams-atnaujin-5244150/</ref> |
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The massive protests continued for a few months. Lithuanians are still demonstrating on the 17th of every month till this day.<ref>http://www.ekspertai.eu/akcija-prie-prezidenturosar-dar-gyva-deimante-nusviete-rusijos-propagandinis-portalas</ref> |
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==Political career== |
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In June 2012, Venckiene resigned her judgeship after the Parliament voted to removed her legal immunity (5 charges were brought against her). She stated that she could not be a judge anymore; "I cannot be a part of such a system where justice is being declared, but not being sought and |
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implemented to the highest extent, where corruption remains important stimulus to action, where a higher hierarchical position is reached via corrupted relationships or secret deals, but not through the quality of professional work. I cannot be a part of a system that does not serve truth, individuals, and homeland".<ref>http://www.ve.lt/naujienos/lietuva/lietuvos-naujienos/neringos-venckienes-prasymas-atleisti-is-teisejos-pareigu-766431/</ref> |
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Venckiene became the face of the new [[The Way of Courage]] political party. The goals include changes in the justice system, the establishment of trial by jury, stricter punishments for corruption, rape and pedophilia.<ref>http://komentaras.lt/n-venckiene-kuria-partija-renkami-parasai-politines-partijos-„drasos-kelias“-ikurimui/</ref> |
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[[File:VenckieneCampaign.png|thumb|left|Venckiene campaigning in 2012]] |
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According to "Vilmorus" polls, Venckiene became one of the top ten politicians in the country. Media speculated about her run for Presidency in 2014, challenging [[Dalia Grybauskaite]].<ref>https://lietuvosdiena.lrytas.lt/-13143799521312117989-prezidentės-globotinė-teisėja-n-venckienė-jos-varžovė.htm</ref> |
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[[File:VenckieneSeimas.jpg|thumb|right|Venckiene being sworn in]] |
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In October 2012, Venckiene and six of her supporters were elected to the [[Seimas|Parliament]] of Lithuania. She was selected as the chairwoman of [[The Way of Courage]] faction.<ref>http://www.vrk.lt/statiniai/puslapiai/2012_seimo_rinkimai/output_lt/rezultatai_daugiamand_apygardose/partijos_pirmumo_balsai4556.html</ref> |
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The Parliament approved the prosecutors' request to remove Venckiene's legal immunity on April 9th, 2013. She fled to the United State on the day of the removal of her immunity.<ref>https://www.alfa.lt/straipsnis/15150483/garsioji-begle-venckiene-pastebeta-cikagoje</ref> |
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In June 2014, Venckiene was impeached and her mandate removed. She was the first person to be impeached without being present or legally informed about the proceedings. [[Gintaras Aleknonis]] who was supposed to take Venckiene's place in parliament, refused to be sworn in, in protest. He stated "I don't have words to describe this situation [...] I think that all honest people perfectly understand, and you can't explain it to the rest anyways"<ref>https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/lietuva/gintaras-aleknonis-atsisako-dirbti-seime-vietoje-mandato-netekusios-neringos-venckienes-56-436033</ref>. |
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==Political persecution== |
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On 2 August 2010, a disciplinary case was brought against Venckiene by the Judicial Discipline and Ethics Commission. It was noted that "speaking with the press, also publicly criticizing the improper pre-trial investigation, and the institutions of the pre-trial investigation, stating a negative opinion about other people, and publicly accusing them, also writing complaints in her brother's name, and using disrespectful words to describe people about who she wrote documents, violated the Judicial ethical code of conduct".<ref>https://www.delfi.lt/archive/etika-pazeidusiai-nvenckienei-teiseju-garbes-teismas-skyre-papeikima.d?id=42741063</ref> |
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In 2011, the Judicial Discipline and Ethics Commission gave a warning to Venckiene, because "Venckiene in her actions and statements in the public media violated Judges etiquette code of conduct regarding respecting a person, loyalty to the country, unbiasedness, selflessness, respect and example principles". |
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In April 2012, G.Kryzevicius, the chairman of the Supreme Court of Lithuania, called Venckiene "an abscess in judicial and political system" and "the trouble of the whole state"<ref>https://www.delfi.lt/archive/gkryzevicius-nvenckiene-visos-valstybes-beda-ir-pulinys.d?id=57624861</ref>. |
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On 23 May, General Prosector asked the Parliament to remove Venckiene's legal immunity on 5 charges. |
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On 26 June, Venckiene's immunity was removed, she resigned as a judge. |
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[[File:ProtestVenckiene.png|thumb|left|Protest to support Venckiene, May 26, 2012]] |
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On 16 August 2012, former political prisoners of Soviet Union made a public plea to the U.S. and the E.U. to investigate the political persecution of Venckiene stating that "institutions began to apply double standards and treat her differently than they have previously treated other Lithuanian citizens". It was noted that Venckiene was "the first individual with legal immunity whose freedom was restricted without the consent of the Parliament". Also criticizing the prosecutors for the first time in history, personally serving officials documents, demanding that Venckiene be questioned, while she was undergoing a surgical procedure; "they are threatening to closely monitor and even supervise N. Venckiene’s treatment in order to interrogate and indict her as quickly as possible". The plea was signed by 8 former political prisoners of USSR.<ref>http://www.ekspertai.eu/kreipimasis-del-politinio-n-venckienes-persekiojimo/</ref> |
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In 2012, 6 charges were brought against Venckiene, including not following a court order, assault, disrespecting the court.<ref>http://www.bernardinai.lt/straipsnis/2012-05-23-generalinis-prokuroras-kreipesi-i-seima-del-n-venckienes-nelieciamybes-panaikinimo/82731</ref> |
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Among the biggest Venckiene's supporters were a former political prisoner [[Nijole Sadunaite]], a signer of the Lithuanian Declaration of Independence [[Algirdas Vaclovas Patackas]], former Minister of Foreign Affairs [[Povilas Gylys]], and MP [[Naglis Puteikis]]. While she was constantly criticized by the chairman of the Liberal Party [[Eligijus Masiulis]], Police General Commissioner (at the time) [[Saulius Skvernelis]] and MP [[Algirdas Sysas]]. |
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Venckiene asked for political asylum in the United States in 2013. |
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In 2015, the Lithuanian authorities requested the extradition of N.Venckiene back to Lithuania. At the time she faced 39 criminal charges, including illegal surveillance, disrespecting the national anthem, and public statements to infringe on sovereignty of Lithuania. |
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Additional charges were brought against Venckiene, including an attempt to overthrow the government, spying, and a threat to the state. These charges were later dropped.<ref>https://www.alfa.lt/straipsnis/49880412/pedofilijos-istorijoje-nauja-byla-venckienes-gauja-kaltina-net-gresme-valstybei</ref> |
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In 2017, two of the charges were dropped because, according to the prosecutors, "it was connected to politics" and "it could be a reason for Venckiene not to be extradited".<ref>https://lietuvosdiena.lrytas.lt/aktualijos/2017/10/26/news/neringa-venckiene-gali-nurimti-niekas-jos-neiesko-3261204/</ref> |
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In February 2018 Venckiene was arrested in Chicago and detained in Chicago's federal prison.<ref>https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/lietuva/jav-suimta-neringa-venckiene-ji-gali-buti-parsiusta-i-lietuva-56-930070</ref> |
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Since the arrest, many influential Lithuanians made public statements regarding Venckiene. [[Nijole Sadunaite|N.Sadunaite]] stated that "if U.S. extradites N.Venckiene [...] they will be signing her death sentence".<ref>http://alkas.lt/2018/03/08/n-sadunaite-atviras-laiskas-jav-prezidentui-ponui-donaldui-trampui/</ref> MP Petras Grazulis said that "this situation reminds me of Soviet oppression [...] she will not receive a fair trial".<ref>http://komentaras.lt/kaip-ir-sovietmeciu-p-grazulio-viltis-jav-del-n-venckienes-ekstradicijos-kreipesi-i-czv-vadova/</ref> Lithuanian comedian Valdas Vizinis believes that Venckiene has already been trialled in the media "constant slander of N.Venckiene and her supporters [...] on LRT (state owned television)". <ref>http://komentaras.lt/v-vizinis-kreipesi-i-jav-pareigunus-n-venckienes-sugrazinimas-gali-reiksti-pavoju-jos-gyvybei/</ref> Also stating that "it's impossible for Venckiene to receive a fair trial". |
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On 18 April 2018, Venckiene, giving an interview to [[Associated Press]] stated that "they have no reason to have me back but to kill me".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/04/18/us/ap-us-jailed-lithuanian-pedophile-ring.html|title=APNewsBreak: Lithuanian Claims Pedophile Ring in Extradition|last=Press|first=The Associated|date=2018-04-18|work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-04-20|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> American Judge Virginia Kendall refused to block Venckiene's extradition.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.dw.com/en/us-court-approves-extradition-of-lithuanian-ex-judge-neringa-venckiene/a-44655169 |title=US court approves extradition of Lithuanian ex-judge Neringa Venckiene |publisher=''[[Deutsche Welle]]'' |date=July 12, 2018}}</ref> |
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==Initiatives in Congress== |
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On June 25, 2018 U.S. Congressman [[Chris Smith (New Jersey politician)|Chris Smith]] |
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from New Jersey introduced a private bill in the House of Representatives "for the relief of Judge Neringa Venckiene, who the Government of Lithuania seeks on charges related to her pursuit of justice against Lithuanian public officials accused of sexually molesting her young niece". |
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Giving an interview to the [[Associated Press]], Rep. Smith said that Venckiene “should be praised, not charged, for her courage to hold public officials accountable and protect her niece”.<ref>https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/neringa-venckiene-lithuanian-judge-extradition-chris-smith/</ref> |
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On June 27, Congressman [[Randy Hultgren]] introduced an identical bill. Both bills are similarly short titled: "Give Judge Venckiene Her Day In Court Act".<ref>https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/6257</ref> |
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Member of Parliament of Lithuania [[Žygimantas Pavilionis]] called these initiatives "an attack by the Russians" or a "work by unknown lobbyists".<ref>https://www.lrytas.lt/lietuvosdiena/aktualijos/2018/06/28/news/melo-turbina-isuko-ir-gera-lietuvos-drauga-6776937/</ref> |
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On September 27, the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission held a hearing titled: "Politically Motivated (In)Justice - The Extradition Case of Judge Venckiene".<ref>https://www.csce.gov/international-impact/events/politically-motivated-injustice</ref> The Commission is independent U.S. government agency which was created 1975 to monitor Human Rights Violations and to encourage compliance with the [[Helsinki Final Act]]. |
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The Government of Lithuania decided not to participate in the hearing. |
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Venckiene's son Karolis Venckus testified in the hearing. He stated: " my mom was an inconvenient obstacle to the corrupt legal and political systems, and it was not safe for her in Lithuania anymore". <ref>https://www.csce.gov/sites/helsinkicommission.house.gov/files/Karolis%20Venckus%20Testimony.pdf</ref> |
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Former Member of the Lithuanian Parliament, Dr. [[Vytautas Matulevicius]] testified: " the case of N. Venckienė itself can be regarded as a typical recurrence of the Soviet legal system - a person who talks too much about the crimes of influential people is labeled a criminal herself".<ref>https://www.csce.gov/sites/helsinkicommission.house.gov/files/Dr.%20M%20Testimony.pdf</ref> |
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Professor [[Mary Graw Leary]] stated: "In Judge Venckiene’s case, assertions have been made that the child at issue in this case |
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was not only sexually abused, but that the child’s mother was complicit in allowing the abuse. |
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In the course of the Commission’s review of this case, should it encounter evidence of this |
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compliance being in exchange of something of value, or that the victim’s mother received a |
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benefit for her consent to sexually abuse her daughter, such information would suggest a case |
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involving child sex trafficking". <ref>https://www.csce.gov/sites/helsinkicommission.house.gov/files/M.%20Leary%20Testimony.pdf</ref> |
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Human Rights attorney [[Abbe Jolles]] testified: "There is much evidence that the extradition demand for Judge Venckiene is politically motivated. |
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When charges are politically motivated the Secretary of State must refuse extradition. An “army” of |
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240 federal officers converging on a private home, to take custody of one little girl, is a powerful |
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indicator of political motivation. There are many other indications of political motivation including |
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the nature of all but one of the 39 charges added over the past 6 years". <ref>https://www.csce.gov/sites/helsinkicommission.house.gov/files/Abbe%20Jolles%20Testimony.pdf</ref> |
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==Publications== |
==Publications== |
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*''Drasius' Hope To Save The Girl'' (''Drąsiaus viltis – išgelbėti mergaitę'') (2011), 328 pages. |
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*''The Way of Courage'' (''Drąsos keliu'') (2012), 128 pages. |
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== References == |
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'''"Drasius' Hope To Save The Girl"''' (''Drąsiaus viltis – išgelbėti mergaitę'') (2011), 328 pages. |
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'''"The Way of Courage"''' (''Drąsos keliu'') (2012), 128 pages. |
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== Reference == |
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{{reflist}} |
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Latest revision as of 20:04, 25 January 2024
Neringa Venckienė | |
|---|---|
| Member of the 11th Seimas of Lithuania | |
| In office 16 November 2012 – 19 June 2014 (Impeached) | |
| Prime Minister | Algirdas Butkevicius |
| Succeeded by | Gintaras Aleknonis (refused to be sworn in) |
| Succeeded by | Stasys Brundza |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 May 1971 Kaunas, Lithuanian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Political party | Way of Courage |
| Spouse | Aidas Venckus (until 2014) |
| Alma mater | Vilnius University |
| Profession | Judge |
Neringa Venckienė (born 21 May 1971 in Kaunas) is a former Lithuanian judge and member of the Seimas of Lithuania.
In 2008–2009, Venckienė's brother Drąsius Kedys accused three men of sexually molesting his four-year old daughter. One of the men and the girl's aunt were murdered in October 2009. Kedys became the prime suspect but he was found dead in June 2010. The girl's custody was initially awarded to Venckienė. The courts later awarded the custody to the girl's mother. These court ruling caused a popular uproar in Lithuania and members of the public started a vigil guarding the house where the girl lived so that the police could not take her away. Armed riot police forcibly took away the girl on 17 May 2012. Few days later, charges were brought against Venckienė who resigned from her job as a judge. She became leader of the new The Way of Courage political party and was elected to the Seimas in the October 2012 elections. In April 2013, the Seimas voted to remove Venckienė's legal immunity and she fled to the United States seeking political asylum. In June 2014, Venckienė was impeached and her mandate was removed. In November 2019, she was extradited back to Lithuania, where she was released on bail and is tried for relative minor offenses. She was found guilty in 2021 and sentenced to 21 months in prison but released due to time already served.
Early life and education
[edit]Venckienė was born as Neringa Kedytė in Kaunas, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1971.
In 1989, she graduated from Garliava 1st High School with high honors. From 1989 to 1995, she studied at the Law Faculty of Vilnius University. From 2005, she studied for her doctorate at Mykolas Romeris University.
From 1995 to 1999, Venckienė worked as a jurist at the Lithuanian University of Agriculture (now Aleksandras Stulginskis University). Between 1999 and 2007 she worked as a Kaunas District Court judge and served as an appeal judge at Kaunas Regional Court from 2007 to 2012.
Pedophilia case
[edit]Pedophilia and murders
[edit]Venckienė's brother Drąsius Kedys (b. 1972), and his former girlfriend, Laimutė Stankūnaitė (b. 1986) had an out-of-wedlock daughter in February 2004. The couple split up in 2006. His former girlfriend originally obtained the custody of the girl. But later gave custody to the father, stating that she could not afford to take care of the child.
On 29 November 2008, Kedys submitted a formal complaint to the police, claiming that Andrius Ūsas, an advisor to the speaker of the Parliament, paid Stankūnaitė to sexually molest his daughter. In February 2009, Kedys further pressed accusations against Violeta Naruševičienė, a sister of Stankūnaitė, claiming the former had allowed men to molest his 4-year-old daughter. In July 2009, Kedys also accused Jonas Furmanavičius, a district judge, and an unidentified individual known only as Aidas, of partaking in the molestation. All of those people (except for the unidentified Aidas) professed their innocence, and in turn accused Kedys of slander, criminal libel, and death threats.[1]
On 5 October 2009, Furmanavičius and Naruševičienė were shot dead in Kaunas. Kedys became the prime suspect. The story caused an uproar in Lithuania, much of the public siding with Kedys: in the public mind, the case was seen as largely a father's futile attempts in pursuing justice and trying to protect his daughter, and by being driven to desperate measures by anger at the injustice. After six months of police search, Drąsius Kedys' body was found near Kaunas Reservoir on 20 April 2010.[2] According to the official report, the cause of death was "choking on his own vomit" whilst being heavily intoxicated. However, his relatives were convinced that Kedys had been murdered, pointing to some wounds on his body, and the fact that there was no vomit found on the scene.[3] Ūsas, the main suspect in the pedophilia case, was officially charged with sexual molestation of a minor. However, he was found dead in June 2010. According to the police, he fell off his all-terrain vehicle and drowned in 8 inches of water. The death was ruled an accident. The court case against Ūsas continued. The court found him innocent in November 2012.[4]
Custody fight
[edit]The custody of the girl was initially given to Kedys' sister Venckienė.[5] In May 2010, the court gave custody of the girl to the biological mother Stankūnaitė. Outraged by this decision, according to different sources, up to 2000 people surrounded Venckienė's home and would not let the police pass. After the continued protests and demonstrations, the court reversed its decision to transfer the custody of the girl to the mother. But in 2011, the custody was once again awarded to the biological mother. The vigil outside Venckienė's house started again.[6]
On 23 March 2012, police surrounded the house and attempted to take the girl by force. The girl refused to go. The failed attempt was broadcast on national TV. People were outraged at the footage of the mother and her bodyguard attempting to pull the screaming girl away from the grandmother. This attempt was stopped by child protective services, stating that it was traumatizing the child. After 23 March the girl developed PTSD.[7]
At 6 am on 17 May 2012, 240 police officers went to Venckienė's home. The police shut down the roads, closed the local school, and enforced a lockdown of a 2-mile (3-km) perimeter around Venckienė's house. The protesters were pulled aside, 39 of them arrested. Police used rubber sticks, electric shock, police dogs, tear gas and rubber bullets. After a failed attempt to get in the house through the main entrance, the police broke the side glass door. Police turned off the security cameras inside the home. The girl was carried away screaming.[8]
After the girl was transferred, the footage of the police operation went viral. Around 200 people spontaneously showed up to protest at the Presidential Palace in Vilnius.[9] Smaller protests occurred in other Lithuanian cities as well. President Dalia Grybauskaite addressed the nation, requesting an investigation into whether force was used against the girl. On 19 May, according to various sources, 1000–5000 Venckienė's supporters protested at the Presidential Palace in Vilnius.[10] On the same day, the President attended a NATO Summit in Chicago. A few hundred Lithuanian-Americans surrounded Grybauskaite's car and would not let her pass.[11] On 26 May, a few thousand Venckienė's supporters marched from the Seimas building to the Presidential Palace.[12]
Seimas, impeachment and extradition
[edit]In March 2011, Venskienė was reprimanded by the Judicial Discipline and Ethics Commission because "Venckienė in her actions and statements in the public media violated Judges etiquette code of conduct regarding respecting a person, loyalty to the country, unbiasedness, selflessness, respect and example principles".[13]
On 23 May 2012, few days after the police forcibly removed her niece from the house in Garliava, six charges were brought against Venckienė, including not following a court order, assault, disrespecting the court.[14] According to the Constitution of Lithuania, judges cannot be arrested or tried without the approval by the parliament. In June 2012, Venckienė resigned her judgeship after the parliament voted to remove her legal immunity.[15]
Venckienė became the face of the new The Way of Courage political party. The goals include changes in the justice system, the establishment of trial by jury, and stricter punishments for corruption, rape and pedophilia.[16] According to "Vilmorus" polls, Venckienė became one of the top ten politicians in the country. Media speculated about her run for the presidency in 2014, challenging Dalia Grybauskaitė.[17] In October 2012, Venckienė and six of her supporters were elected to the Parliament of Lithuania. She was selected as the chairwoman of The Way of Courage faction.[18]
The parliament approved the prosecutors' request to remove Venckienė's legal immunity on 9 April 2013. She fled to the United States on the day of the removal of her immunity.[19] In June 2014, Venckienė was impeached and her mandate removed. She was the first person to be impeached without being present or legally informed about the proceedings. Gintaras Aleknonis, who was supposed to take Venckienė's place in parliament, refused to be sworn in.[20]
In 2015, the Lithuanian authorities requested the extradition of Venckienė back to Lithuania. At the time she faced 39 criminal charges, including illegal surveillance, disrespecting the national anthem, and public statements to infringe on sovereignty of Lithuania. Additional charges were brought against Venckienė, including an attempt to overthrow the government, spying, and a threat to the state. These charges were later dropped.[21]
In February 2018, Venckienė was arrested in Chicago and detained in Chicago's federal prison.[22] On 18 April 2018, Venckienė, giving an interview to Associated Press stated that "they have no reason to have me back but to kill me".[23] American Judge Virginia Kendall refused to block Venckienė's extradition.[24] She was extradited to Lithuania in November 2019.[25]
In Lithuania, she was released on a 10,000 euro bail and faces trial for relatively minor offences of hitting a person, refusing to obey a court order, and resisting a police officer.[26] In July 2021, Venckienė was found guilty on all charges and was sentenced to one year and nine months in prison. However, she was released as time already served under arrest exceeded the sentence.[27] She was also ordered to pay 6,800 euros to the Lithuanian government for the extradition expenses as well as 6,300 euros to Stankūnaitė and 3,500 euros to two other individuals.[27] Venckienė lost her case in the appeals court in January 2022 and appealed further to the Supreme Court of Lithuania in May 2022.[28]
International reaction
[edit]On 25 June 2018, U.S. Congressman Chris Smith from New Jersey introduced a private bill in the House of Representatives "for the relief of Judge Neringa Venckienė, who the Government of Lithuania seeks on charges related to her pursuit of justice against Lithuanian public officials accused of sexually molesting her young niece".[29] On 27 June, Congressman Randy Hultgren introduced an identical bill. Both bills are similarly short titled: "Give Judge Venckienė Her Day In Court Act".[30]
On 27 September, the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission held a hearing titled: "Politically Motivated (In)Justice – The Extradition Case of Judge Venckienė".[31] The commission is independent U.S. government agency which was created 1975 to monitor Human Rights Violations and to encourage compliance with the Helsinki Final Act. The Government of Lithuania decided not to participate in the hearing.
On 2 February 2019, Rep. Smith re-introduced the "Give Judge Venckienė Her Day In Court Act" in the 116th Congress of the United States.[32] In May 2020, after a classified video of the 2012 police operation surfaced – showing violence being used by police officers and Stankunaitė against the girl and Venckienė, Rep. Smith released a statement condemning Lithuania's actions and "[calling] on the Lithuanian government to cease the prosecution of Judge Venckienė".[33]
Publications
[edit]- Drasius' Hope To Save The Girl (Drąsiaus viltis – išgelbėti mergaitę) (2011), 328 pages.
- The Way of Courage (Drąsos keliu) (2012), 128 pages.
References
[edit]- ^ "Lietuvai gresia pedofilijos skandalas". DELFI. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
- ^ "Rastas Drąsiaus Kedžio kūnas (atnaujinta 9.05 val., nuotraukos)". 15min.lt. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
- ^ "Generalinė prokuratūra – Drąsiaus Kedžio nužudymo bendrininkė". www.ekspertai.eu. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
- ^ "Teismas dar kartą reabilitavo A.Ūsą – pedofilija buvo išgalvota". DELFI. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
- ^ ekspresas, Dienraštis Vakaru (21 June 2010). "D. Kedžio ir L. Stankūnaitės dukra kol kas lieka pas globėją". Dienraštis Vakaru ekspresas. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
- ^ "Court: Kedys' daughter should live with her mother". baltictimes.com. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
- ^ Alfa Vaizdas (23 March 2012). "Mergaitės paėmimas iš Venckų namų neįvyko (video iš Garliavos)". Retrieved 24 February 2019 – via YouTube.
- ^ Neringa Venckiene (13 July 2012). "Mergaitės kančios ( Išskirtiniai filmuoti kadrai iš gegužės 17d. ) (ENG sub.)". Retrieved 24 February 2019 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Prie Prezidentūros protestuojama dėl mergaitės perdavimo motinai (papildyta)". Bernardinai.lt. 17 May 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
- ^ "Drąsiaus Kedžio šalininkai Vilniuje susirinko į violetinę "Teisingumo eiseną"". 15min.lt. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
- ^ "Dalios Grybauskaitės automobilį Čikagoje užpuolė Drąsiaus Kedžio šalininkai". 15min.lt. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
- ^ "D. Kedžio šalininkų mitingas Vilniaus centre: L. Stankūnaitės rėmėjai išvadinti parazitais, kliuvo ir žurnalistams (atnaujinta)". lrytas.lt. 26 May 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
- ^ "Etiką pažeidusiai N.Venckienei Teisėjų garbės teismas skyrė papeikimą". DELFI. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
- ^ "Generalinis prokuroras kreipėsi į Seimą dėl N. Venckienės neliečiamybės panaikinimo". Bernardinai.lt. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
- ^ ekspresas, Dienraštis Vakaru (27 June 2012). "Neringos Venckienės prašymas atleisti iš teisėjos pareigų". Dienraštis Vakaru ekspresas. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
- ^ "N.Venckienė kuria partiją – renkami parašai politinės partijos "Drąsos kelias" įkūrimui" (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 26 February 2019.
- ^ "Unknown".[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Balsavimo rezultatai daugiamandatėse apygardose. 2012 m. Lietuvos Respublikos Seimo rinkimai ir referendumas dėl naujos atominės elektrinės statybos Lietuvos Respublikoje". www.vrk.lt. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
- ^ Alfa.lt. "Garsioji bėglė Venckienė pastebėta Čikagoje". alfa.lt. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
- ^ "Gintaras Aleknonis atsisako dirbti Seime, jį pakeis Stasys Brundza". 15min.lt. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
- ^ Alfa.lt, Dominykas Griežė. "Pedofilijos istorijoje – nauja byla: "Venckienės gaują" kaltina net grėsme valstybei". alfa.lt. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
- ^ "JAV suimta Neringa Venckienė, jos parsiuntimas į Lietuvą gali užtrukti ne vienus metus". 15min.lt. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
- ^ "APNewsBreak: Lithuanian Claims Pedophile Ring in Extradition". The New York Times. Associated Press. 18 April 2018. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
- ^ "US court approves extradition of Lithuanian ex-judge Neringa Venckiene". Deutsche Welle. 12 July 2018.
- ^ Dapkus, Liudas (7 November 2019). "Lithuania ex-judge returns home after US extradition". Associated Press. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ^ "Lithuanian court frees on bail ex-judge after US extradition". Associated Press. 19 November 2019.
- ^ a b BNS (8 July 2021). "Venckienę teismas pripažino kalta, priteisė ekstradicijos išlaidas" (in Lithuanian). Delfi.lt. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
- ^ Steniulienė, Ingrida; BNS (21 May 2022). "Venckienė ir jos advokatas su skundais kreipėsi į Aukščiausiąjį Teismą" (in Lithuanian). Delfi.lt. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
- ^ "US House member introduces bill to free Lithuanian judge". suntimes.com. 26 June 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
- ^ Hultgren, Randy (30 July 2018). "H.R.6257 – 115th Congress (2017–2018): Give Judge Venckiene Her Day in Court Act". www.congress.gov. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
- ^ "Politically-Motivated (In)Justice". CSCE. 25 September 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
- ^ "Text - H.R.1107 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): Give Judge Venckiene Her Day in Court Act". 22 March 2019.
- ^ "Statement on the trial of Lithuanian Judge Neringa Venckiene". 25 May 2020.
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