Guidance

Lithuania: Information for victims of rape and sexual assault

Published 28 February 2023

If you’ve been sexually assaulted it’s important to remember that it was not your fault. Rape and sexual assault is always wrong – no matter who commits it or where it happens. It is traumatic and it can affect you both physically and emotionally. Do not be afraid to get help.

This information is provided to help British nationals overseas make informed decisions about whether and how to:

• seek medical advice and attention

• report to local police

• engage with foreign legal authorities following a rape or other form of sexual assault overseas

For information on support available in the UK, see Rape and Sexual Assault: Returning to the UK.

First steps

It is your choice about what you do next, but this information may help you in coming to a decision. The most important thing is to make sure that you are as safe as you can be. You can:

• contact the international emergency number on 112

• contact your tour operator if you are travelling with one

• contact the British Embassy Vilnius on 00 370 52 462 900. Embassy staff will be empathetic, and non-judgmental, and can provide information on local police and medical procedures. Anything you tell them will be treated in the strictest confidence. They can contact your family or friends for you if you wish.

If you want to report the incident to the police in Lithuania

If you have a tour operator, they should be able to arrange for someone to support you. If you are in an area where there is a British Embassy, we will try to send a consular officer to support you, where timing and location allow. You will always be able to speak to trained consular staff on the telephone 24/7.

If you approach the police directly, you can also ask them to inform the nearest British embassy or consulate on 00 370 52 462 900 and they can offer you consular support.

If you choose to report the crime, try to do so as soon as possible, so forensic evidence can be retained.

Washing yourself or your clothes may make it difficult for the police to obtain forensic evidence. If you change your clothes, think about taking those you were wearing to the police. You may wish to preserve evidence by retaining items such as condoms, toothbrushes, or texts.

At the police station

Tell the police if you think you have been drugged.

Make sure you get a police report and request a translation in English if applicable.

You must report the crime to the policefor it to be investigated. In certain cases an investigation can be opened by a police officer or prosecutor, regardless of the victim’s wishes.

You do not put yourself at risk by reporting the incident to the police, regardless of your gender or sexual preference. Extramarital sex or homosexuality is not considered a crime in Lithuania, neither is alcohol consumption.

Consumption of drugs is punishable by a fine (also known as an ‘administrative offence’) and is not considered a crime in Lithuania, as long as the person is not engaged in drug dealing.

Consular staff at the Embassy can call ahead to inform the police that you wish to report the crime. If time and distance allow, we can also accompany you to the police station, but we cannot interpret for you.

If you do not speak Lithuanian, the police will provide an interpreter, but this can take some time to organise so you may need to wait. It might not always be possible to see a female officer, but we can request one on your behalf. Investigations are led by a prosecutor.

At the police station, you will be asked to provide a statement and describe the attacker, and the police will keep any items of clothing and sometimes electronic equipment that can be relevant to an investigation. You will be asked to sign your statement. You will not be expected to surrender your passport at any time.

You will not be assigned a lawyer, unless you are under 18 years old. However, you can hire a private lawyer. See English-speaking lawyers list.

The police will also ask you to have a forensic examination with the State Forensic Medicine Service or at a hospital. These services exist in most big towns across Lithuania. If the attack was reported some time after it happened (after a few days, for example) it may be harder to collect necessary evidence, so you should contact the police and get a forensic examination as soon as possible.

If you need urgent medical help, you can go directly to hospital before reporting the crime to the police. Be aware that hospitals are obliged to report cases of personal injuries that may be related to rape or sexual assault to the police. See Where to go for detailed information.

If you do not want to report the incident to the police in Lithuania

The British Embassy or consulate will be able to help you. This includes:

• helping you to contact your insurance company and/oryour family
• helping you with arrangements to travel back to the UK
• providing you with information on local support in the UK

It’s your choice on whether to report the crime. If you don’t report it, your case will not be investigated.

Regardless of whether or not you report the crime, you will still be able to get medical treatment at the nearest hospital. However, the hospital is obligated to call the police if they suspect a crime has taken place and the police will need to speak to you. They will ask if you want to lodge an official report regarding the crime.

If you are travelling with a tour operator, you can also report the incident to them and ask them for assistance. If you wish, the tour operator may accompany you to the local hospital.

You can also find a list of:

• English-speaking medical facilities

• lawyers

• translators

If you want to report the incident to the police in the UK

If you do not report the crime in the country where it happened and you return to the UK, you can still report the matter to your local UK police.

The UK police should send the information you provide to the country where the crime happened. UK police forces cannot investigate crimes committed overseas. The Lithuanian police can request assistance from the UK police, but this can be a lengthy process and there is no guarantee of a positive outcome.

You can report the crime to the UK police even if you are not seeking an investigation abroad. The UK police can offer you access to victim support in the UK.

They may still send some details of the crime to police in the country where it happened. This might be necessary in order to protect vulnerable people, or to stop further crimes being committed

The medical examination – what to expect

Where to go

The following hospitals have  specially trained staff for dealing with rape and sexual assault cases:

Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos

The Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kauno Klinikos

Klaipeda University Hospital

Panevezys Republican Hospital

Siauliai Republican Hospital

If you cannot get to one of these hospitals, you can go to any health care institution.  However, they may not have specially trained staff to provide full range of assistance and may limit their services to medical help only.

Examination

A gynaecologist or emergency doctor on call will carry out the examination. Most Lithuanian doctors speak English, but you may need a translator, especially in rural areas.

The examination includes:

• checking and documenting all possible injuries. Photographs may be taken if necessary

• collecting and retaining all forensic evidence (sperm, blood and urine samples, underwear)

• testing against HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases

Additional support may include:

• offering help to find you a secure place to stay if necessary, including overnight stays

• asking you to return for check-ups and aftercare

• supporting you when you talk to police if necessary

While it cannot be guaranteed, you have the right to request the presence of a female member of staff. The medical examination is the same for male and female patients.

The Embassy can help you find the closest hospital and can call ahead to inform them that you are coming. If you would like a consular officer to accompany you, we will try to do so where time constraints allow for this. If you are travelling with a tour operator, their local rep might also be able to escort you. It is essential that you receive medical support and care as soon as possible.

Treatment

Hospital medical staff give advice on HIV PEP medication (‘post-exposure prophylaxis, a treatment that can prevent HIV infection). PEP can be prescribed by a doctor or by an HIV detection centre. It is medically prescribed, and you should have follow-up visits with a specialist. Find more information on HIV from the NHS.

HIV PEP medication needs to be taken within 72 hours of the incident for it to be effective. The NHS may be able to commence or continue the 28-day treatment on return to the UK.

You can get emergency contraception at hospitals and pharmacies. This needs to be taken within 72 hours of the incident for it to be effective.

Your Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or travel insurance can cover the costs of hospital treatment and tests.

If you have had medication administered overseas, you should keep the label or make a note of the name of the medication, so that you let your local health provider know when you return home.

Police investigations in Lithuania – what to expect

If you have reported the incident to the police, they will give you information about what to do next – for example. if and when to come and give additional statements, and information about possible witnesses.

They can give you information about local victim support and other facilities available to support you. If you wish, you can submit a civil suit for compensation to the police officers who are handling your case. See information on rights of victims of crime in Lithuania

Based on the statements and the evidence collected by the police, the prosecutor’s office will decide within 10 working days if a formal investigation is going to be held.

During the process of the formal investigation:

• you will normally be interviewed only once, but in some cases it may be necessary to give additional statements to the police

• normally you will not be taken to the scene of the crime, but this may happen as part of the investigation

• if you do not know who the perpetrator was, there may be a need to identify him or her from a group of visually similar people or by using pictures provided by the police

• the police will try to keep you and the perpetrator separate throughout the whole investigation, but in very rare cases it may be necessary for a face to face encounter

If you do not want to appoint a lawyer, you can ask for information about your case from the investigating police officer or from the contact person in the local police at any time. You can ask for the contact details of the police officers who are handling your case from the Lithuanian Police information line +370 700 6000.

You may not be given full details in the interest of the integrity of the investigation. The police will not automatically send you regular updates of the investigation. You will only be notified of the most important details like closing of the case, court dates and other court order information.

Court procedures – what to expect

If there is enough evidence, the prosecutor’s office will take the case to court.

If a suspect is taken to trial and has to publicly appear in front of the court, you will be obliged to testify in court. The court session can be declared closed for your protection. You may be asked to return to Lithuania to give your statements.  If this is the case, you have the right to claim back some of the expenses from Lithuanian government. The court may allow you to testify from the UK via video link.

A lawyer cannot give statements on your behalf. Unless you are under 18 years old, a lawyer is optional, but you may want to hire one:

• for extra support
• for better understanding of the legal procedures in Lithuania
• to appeal if necessary
• to get other relevant information, if applicable

See the list of English-speaking lawyers Lithuania and the European E-Justice portal lawyers search tool.

If the case is referred for further investigation you may be asked to give an additional statement.

Once charges have been filed you cannot stop proceedings, even if you change your mind; the prosecutor`s office will decide whether to send the case to court or not.

Giving false accusations or forged evidence is a criminal offence.

The alleged assailant can press counter charges claiming false accusations.

The length of time it takes for a final sentence to be passed in a rape or sexual assault case depends on a number of factors, such as the complexity of the case, how long it takes to gather evidence, or whether the defendant files a complaint.

The sentence for a convicted adult perpetrator is imprisonment. In some cases imprisonment may be imposed with probation.

After the sentence has been passed, the defendant has the right to at least one appeal. The victim also has a right of appeal.

Legal aid

There are some options of free legal assistance in Lithuania. More information on who can provide free legal aid, where to apply and what free legal aid is covered on the Lithuanian government e-portal.

Compensation

The courts can order the offender to pay material and non-material damages caused by their offence if they are convicted in a criminal court, or as a result of civil action.

There is a state-funded compensation scheme to cover physical or psychological injuries suffered as a result of a violent crime, which may apply to British nationals as well if the crime happened in Lithuania. Read more information about victim rights support available.

Communication

You can approach the investigator or prosecutor’s office for information on your case at any time. If you are not resident in Lithuania you can provide your home address in the country where you are resident as your contact address.

When you return home to the UK

You may want to let your GP or a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) know what has happened to you so that you can talk about the experience and seek further support and advice where you live

If you believe you may be at risk of having contracted a sexually transmitted infection (STI), you should ask your local health provider to test you. You should do this even if you have been tested in the country that the assault took place in.

Support organisations in the UK

Country	Organisation
England	NHS Choices or search the internet for ‘NHS SARC’
Scotland	Archway SARC or phone 0141 211 8175
Wales	New Pathways SARC or phone 01685 379 310 Ynys Saff Sexual Assault Referral Centre (Cardiff and Vale University Health Board)
Northern Ireland	Rowan SARC Northern Ireland or phone 0800 389 4424

Support organisations in Lithuania

It is your choice to let people know. If you are ready to talk about it, these organisations may be able to help you.

You can find organisations by location (including email and phone number) on the victim support pages of the Lithuanian Ministry of Social Affairs website.

Specialised Integrated Support Centre

Specialised Integrated Support centres across Lithuania provide support for victims of domestic abuse including rape and sexual assault.

• 24/7 telephone: +370 700 5551

Vilnius Women Crisis centre

• Vilnius Women Crisis centre provide free of charge emergency shelter accommodation and emotional crisis support.

• 24/7 telephone: +370 5 233 2508, +370 5 233 9644,

• Mobile +370 683 45 190

• Email: info@vmkc.lt

Men Crisis Centre

• Men Crisis Centre website

• Phone: +370 662 26770

• Email: info@vyrukrizes.lt

Human Anti-trafficking Centre

• Human Anti-trafficking Centre provide emotional support, psychological crisis help and support for victims in trafficking and victims of sexual exploitation.

• 24/7 telephone: +370 67961617

• Email: kaunas@anti-trafficking.lt

Disclaimer

This information has been prepared by UK Government officials who are not legally or medically trained. It should therefore never be used as a substitute for professional medical or legal advice. It is intended to help British nationals overseas make their own informed decisions. Neither the UK Government nor any official of the Consulate accept liability for any loss or damage which you might suffer as a result of relying on the information supplied.

Medical information has been provided by The Havens Sexual Assault Referral Centres of Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and was accurate at the time of production (2 February 2022).