Lithuania. Domestic violence and intimate partner sexual violence

01. Call the Police

— What should I do if I am in danger and need emergency help?

You can call the police by dialing 112. 

In addition, if you are a survivor of domestic violence and need help, you can call the hotline: 8 700 55516. This is the number that will direct you to the nearest specialized full care center. Specialists provide psychological, legal, and informational support to the survivors. They can also act as intermediaries in negotiations with authorized bodies. You can call the hotline from 09:00 to 17:00.

— Do I need documents to call the police?

Not necessarily, the police should help anyway.

— If I have any migration issues (e.g., visa overstay), is it safe for me to call the police? 

The police will ask you to provide documents allowing you to stay in the country. No return or expulsion decisions will be taken against Ukrainian citizens and their family members for now, even if there are problems with documents. Police officers will look at the situation flexibly, but the person will have to arrange the documents that allow them to be in the country. There should be no administrative penalties.

— How long will it take the police to come?

Violence-related calls are considered a priority. Usually, the police will respond immediately, although there may be exceptions.

— What should I do if the police do not come?

To call them again by dialing 112.

— What should I say to the police?

Tell them about domestic violence. Tell in detail what happened, how it happened, and who did it to you.

— What will happen next?

If you have called the police, they will report the incident to the Center for Specialized Comprehensive Care. The specialists of this center assist the survivors. They will contact you the next business day and explain how to proceed. You will also be offered free legal and psychological assistance and a support plan. 

In addition, you can contact the municipality and they will assign you a free lawyer who can 

later represent you in court. Any decision not in your favor can be challenged.

— Will the police remove the perpetrator from the house?

The abuser can be detained for 24-48 hours.

— Are there restraining orders in Lithuania? Can the aggressor be forbidden to approach me?

Pre-trial detention may be imposed on the perpetrator: living away from the survivor and/or not approaching the survivor closer than a specified distance. 

Pre-trial detention can only be granted if there is sufficient evidence to suggest that the suspect has committed a criminal offense and there is a real danger to the survivor. Pre-trial detention may only be ordered by a pre-trial judge or court.

— What can I do if the aggressor violated the order?

You must inform the police by dialing 112.

— What will happen next?

This information is passed on to the pre-trial investigation officer in your case for non-compliance with the remand measure. He may be subject to an administrative fine.

— I filed a complaint and now want to withdraw it can I do this?

The application cannot be withdrawn. But there is a process of reconciliation. You can find more information by asking the police or a lawyer. 

— What evidence is needed to bring a case against the abuser and prosecute?

Evidence is necessary for the abuser to be punished. In case of any violence, audio records, video, your injuries are important: bruises photographed, witnesses, text messages, and a certificate from a medical examination about the injuries on the body.

— What laws regulate domestic and sexualized partner violence?

Punishment in such situations is assigned in accordance with the Criminal Code of the Republic of Lithuania. Domestic violence is regulated by the following articles:

Article 129, part 2, paragraph 3, 131, 132, Article 135, part 2, paragraph 3, 136, 137, Article 138, part 2, paragraph 3, 139, Article 140, part 2, 143, 145, 148–1 .

For crimes related to sexualized violence, liability can only be criminal. Crimes against sexual integrity are regulated by Articles 149 to 153 of the Criminal Code.

02. Get medical help

— How to get medical help?

You can call an ambulance by dialing 112 (this is a general emergency number). 

— Do I need money/documents/being registered in the country to get medical help?

First aid services are provided free of charge to all permanent residents of the Republic of Lithuania, regardless of their citizenship and the fact of compulsory health insurance. First aid is provided to foreign citizens, stateless persons who are not permanent residents in accordance with the procedure established by the Ministry of Health.

If the foreigner does not have a document confirming his / her permanent resident status (long-term resident’s permission to live in the European Union (i.e. residence permit) or a certificate confirming the right of a citizen of a Member State of the European Union to reside permanently in the Republic of Lithuania), he/she must cover the costs of health care services or apply to a private insurance institution where he/she has health insurance he/she came to live in Lithuania.

— If I have migration issues (e.g., visa overstay), is it safe for me to ask for medical help? 

First aid will be provided even if you have problems with migration status. However, you should submit documents that allow you to stay in the country. No return or expulsion decisions will be taken against Ukrainian citizens and their family members for now even if you have problems with documents. Police officers will look at the situation flexibly, but the person will have to arrange the documents that allow them to be in the country. There should be no administrative penalties.

— What should I say to medical staff?

You need to tell them what had happened, what injuries you have, and where you feel pain.

— If medical staff suspects that I am a survivor of crime, do they have to report to the police? 

Yes, they have to.

— What will happen next?

Police will start an investigation after receiving information about an incident of domestic violence.

— Legislation punishing domestic and intimate partner sexual violence

For crimes related to sexualized violence, liability can only be criminal. Articles 149 to 153 of the Criminal Code regulates crimes against sexual integrity.

03. Get in touch with local helping organizations

— Which organizations can help?

There are 15 non-governmental organizations throughout Lithuania, which provide assistance to the survivors of domestic violence and abuse.

For more information read here.

In addition, if you are a survivor of domestic violence and need help, you can call the hotline: 8 700 55516. Specialists provide psychological, legal, and informational support to the survivors. They can also act as intermediaries in negotiations with authorized bodies. You can call the hotline from 09:00 to 17:00.

In addition, you can ask for help in the live chat.

There is also free emotional help hotline for women by phone 8 800 66366.

You can also contact the 1809 hotline. It consists of six helplines:

— Youth line,

— children’s line,

— women’s helpline,

— parent line,

— silver line (for elderly people).

Depending on the situation, you can choose the line where you think you can receive help.

Here you can get legal assistance if there was a crime against you:

The website works in four languages, including Russian and English.

Here is a list of different organizations that you can contact if you have difficulties of a different nature.

In addition, information about assistance provided by the state, municipal organizations and non-governmental organizations could be found here.

Migracija.lt — The Migration Department within the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania provides all information on services and necessary documents for citizens of the EU and other countries. 

You can also receive the information by dialing: 8707 6700, for calls from abroad — +370 52717112, e-mail: info@migracija.gov.lt

This page has an English version.

Did our instructions help?

When compiling the instructions, we relied on the help of volunteers and lawyers from different countries. If something went wrong – the organization didn’t respond to you, you found a bug or the instructions weren’t precise enough – tell us about it. Email us at: help@labirint.online