SITUATION IN LITHUANIA

Around 1000 people are disappearing each year in Lithuania. Only around 70 % of the missing people are found. In this section information about the procedures of searching for the missing people in Lithuania is overviewed, involving actions of Police, judicial authorities, NGOs and private actors. This information will assist people not aware of situation in Lithuania to learn more about the formal procedures and sources of assistance in case of disappearance of a person.

Cases of the missing people in Lithuania are investigated by the local Crime Investigation Service under the Criminal Police Bureau. Though only the cases of the missing children are of high priority among the other types of disappearance. If the person is missing outside Lithuania or there is high probability of him/her being transpositioned out of Lithuania, the case is forwarded to the Criminal Police Bureau International Liaison Office (INTERPOL, Sirene, EUROPOL), which then work together on the case with the local Police department.

Cases of the missing can be reported to the nearest Police department starting from the very first day of disappearance. Investigator of the case has to inform the relatives of the missing person on the course of the investigation, though the intensity of the relatives-police communication mostly depends on the relatives’ initiative.

In Lithuania the judicial authorities (Public Prosecutor’s Office) is directly responsible for the pre-trial investigation, which is run by the Police. Prosecutor’s Office performs controlling and organizational functions. Public prosecutor also has a right to begin criminal process if the person is harmed because of a criminal act and cannot defend his/her interests because of serious reasons. There are no specialized public prosecutors, judges or specialized judicial units in Lithuania dealing with the disappearance of children.

Missing Persons Families Support Centre (MPFSC) is the only NGO in Lithuania offering help to the parents in activating search for their missing people, including moral and legal consultations, assistance in dealing with the law enforcement and judicial authorities etc. MPFSC has an official agreement of cooperation with the Police Department under the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania, which includes active cooperation, exchange of information, seminars, conferences and trainings. Although mentioned agreement is often a formality, since the role of the NGO is underestimated and there is no constant experience and information exchange.

Police and the MPFSC actively cooperate with the media: announcements appear on TV, on radio, in the local and national press and on the internet. The information on a missing person is published depending on a strategy determined by the Investigation Office on a case-to-case basis. MPFSC has informal agreements with the media sources, but normally information is disclaimed only if considered appropriate by the responsible investigation officer. Parents are in all cases consulted on the kind of information to be disclaimed. There is also a specialized TV program for sightings and appeals “Independent search agency”, which is aired on a private LNK channel.