Lithuanian MPs tighten law prohibiting violence against minors

Lithuanian parliament (Seimas) adopted changes to the law on Tuesday prohibiting all forms of violence against children, including corporal punishment, after a young boy was beaten to death in January.

All 116 members of parliament who participated in the extraordinary session unanimously voted in favor of the law. The decision was welcomed by applause at the parliament, a rare emotional reaction in Lithuanian parliamentary sessions.

"Lithuanian Seimas made this necessary first step in order to raise courageous, dignified children in Lithuania who don't face violence," Dovile Sakaliene, a member of the Lithuanian Peasant and Greens Union (LVZS) parliamentary political group and one of the authors of the bill, was quoted by local media as saying.

Sakaliene said the goal was to fundamentally reform the child rights protection system in such a way that would guarantee family and state protection for every child and ensure their rights.

The law defines every form of violence -- physical, emotional, and sexual, as well as negligence.

The decision came after a four-year-old boy was severely beaten and died in hospital in January. The boy's mother and stepfather were suspected of the crime and arrested, and a pre-trial investigation was launched.

The Lithuanian president's office said earlier that there were currently around 18,664 children being raised in about 10,000 at-risk families in Lithuania. More than 2,000 children were victims of domestic violence in 2016. Endit