On Tuesday, 14th February, Lithuanian Parliament unanimously banned all sorts of violence against children, including corporal punishments, after a heart-breaking story when a small boy was beaten to death.
All 116 parliamentarians who were present (out of 141) voted to adopt amendments to the Framework Law on Children’s Rights Protection, on the fast track, in a specially convened extraordinary session.
The Amendments ban all sorts of violence against children, including corporal punishments, psychological, sexual, physical violence, as well as care neglect.
Parliamentarians voted after 30 thousand signatories urging to act collected by civil society were presented to them in a symbolic baby stroller.
‘The tragedy of Matas opened a huge chasm in our hearts, and I think that after this story we reached the very bottom when we must start to rise. Today I hope the Parliament will adopt a necessary law’, said Agnė Grigaliūnienė, head of the initiative ‘Save Childhood’.
Society was galvanized by a tragedy at the end of January when a four-year boy named Matas died in Kaunas hospital from wounds after he was beaten by his stepfather.
Stepfather and mother were immediately detained and charged, but the children’s rights system was heavily criticized as responsible institutions already knew about constantly mistreated Matas, but officers failed to act.
‘There is no doubt that he experienced inappropriate behaviour for a long time’, said doctor Vaidotas Gurskis, back in January 26, when Matas was just received at the hospital and soon died.
The new legal framework should help to avoid situations when officers are indecisive to act as they are afraid to intrude into the family by taking child away.
‘While this boy was still alive I promised to do everything in order to strengthen children’s rights in our country,’ said Minister of Social Security and Labour Linas Kukuraitis, who praised the unity of Parliamentarians and responsible institutions after the tragedy.
In autumn, Parliament already tried to ban all sorts of violence against children, but amendments were blocked as sceptics feared that too obscure definitions will allow officers to undermine parents’ right to educate their children.
Civil society presents petition to the Speaker of Parliament
Parliament approves unanimously a new law
Sound bite (Lithuanian)
LINAS KUKURAITIS, Minister of Social Security and Labour:
It is a reform of Matas. That is how I would call what is happening now in Parliament. We can see how responsible institutions, police, children’s rights institutions are now united, as well as all the society. While this boy was still alive I promised to do everything in order to strengthen children’s rights in our country.
A shot from Parliament
Sound bite (Lithuanian)
AGNĖ GRIGALIŪNIENĖ, head of the initiative ‘Save Childhood’:
The tragedy of Matas opened a huge chasm in our hearts. I think that after this story we reached the very bottom when we must start to rise. Today I hope the Parliament will adopt a necessary law, but the most important thing, and I want to stress that to all of us, is that the new law is only the beginning and only a drop in a bucket.
Shots of kindergarten where Matas was enrolled when alive, January 26
Sound bite (Lithuanian) 01-26
VAIDOTAS GURSKIS, doctor at Kaunas hospital:
(reporter asks if the child experienced beating before the tragedy) There is no doubt that he’s been treated inappropriately for a long time. According to the information given by paramedics and neighbours, responsible institutions knew about that, they had information.
