Former Lithuanian Judge, Crystal Lake Resident Released On Bail

VILNIUS, LITHUANIA — Lithuanian court officials will not drop charges against a former judge who moved to Crystal Lake with her son after making claims about a pedophile ring she said involved her niece, 4, according to Northwest Herald. The case against Neringa Venckiene, who was extradited to Lithuania in November, will not be dropped, the news report said. According to Northwest Herald, Venckiene hoped recent video footage of a May 2012 incident involving her, her niece and authorities would help her case.

Venckine remains free on 10,000 euro bond and is currently under court supervision.

>> More via Northwest Herald, including details of charges against Venckinene

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), co-Chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and senior member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the U.S. House of Representatives, made the following statement Monday regarding the trial Venckiene:

“I appeal to the Lithuanian government to end the prosecution and persecution of Judge Neringa Venckiene, who exposed a human trafficking ring and corruption in her country. Judge Venckiene is being tried on trumped up charges, accused of resisting arrest when in reality she was brutalized while trying to protect her niece.

These proceedings are highly irregular, taking place, I am told, after the statute of limitations has expired—and while Lithuania and the world are focused on the COVID-19 crisis. Regrettably Judge Venckiene was extradited to Lithuania before her scheduled asylum hearing in the United States.

In 1991, in the waning days of the Soviet Union, I stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Prime Minister Vytautas Landsbergis and the Lithuanian people at the parliament in Vilnius because justice demanded it. I call on the Lithuanian government to cease the prosecution of Judge Venckiene and urge the Panevezys Regional Court to set her free.”

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This article originally appeared on the Crystal Lake-Cary Patch