Venckienė, a former judge, is suspected of defying a court order. Last december, a court ruled that Venckienė, who was appointed temporary guardian of her niece, must hand over the girl to her mother, an order that Venckienė failed to follow. She is also suspected of causing psychological stress to her 8-year-old niece.
"Valys signed a request to the Seimas asking its permission to prosecute member of the Seimas Neringa Venckienė, detain her or restrict her freedom in any other way. The request to strip Venckienė of her legal immunity follows evidence collected during pre-trial investigations about criminal acts allegedly committed by her," the Office said in a statement.
Prosecutors say evidence suggest Venckienė committed five offences, including contempt of court two years ago and failure to follow a court ruling to hand over a girl in her care to her biological mother. She also allegedly prevented a bailiff from executing a court ruling, abused her position as a child's representative, psychologically traumatised the child, and used physical violence against a police officer.
Pursuant to the Constitution and the Statute of the Seimas, a member of the Seimas cannot be prosecuted or detained without the Seimas' permission. Only the country's prosecutor general can ask the Seimas to strip an MP of his/her legal immunity.
