Lithuanian Justice Minister Rita Tamašunienė announced that the ministry drafted revised rules to make the state’s crime compensation fund function more efficiently for victims of violent crime. The proposed changes aim to reduce bureaucracy by simplifying application forms while simultaneously increasing payout amounts. Minister Tamašunienė stated that the ministry is putting the final touches on the proposal following a joint meeting with Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius to restructure the underlying financing mechanism.
Ministry of Finance Raises Sustainability Concerns
The Ministry of Finance is currently evaluating the proposed legal amendments from the Justice Ministry. According to financial officials, the initial proposal lacked necessary safeguards to guarantee the balanced and efficient distribution of fund resources for both existing and newly proposed objectives. Without those provisions, the Finance Ministry identified potential risks to the overall financial stability of the fund. Following working-level discussions, the Justice Ministry adjusted the draft provisions to introduce risk-mitigation safeguards. The Finance Ministry stated it will deliver its final position after evaluating these updated protections.
Did You Know? The state currently allocates 100 tūkst. eurų annually to administer the Crime Victims Fund, while disbursements for violent crime compensation rely on approximately 700 tūkst. eurų collected from offenders each year.
Justice Ministry proposes raising maximum compensation limits
The Justice Ministry’s proposal to the government seeks to strengthen state assistance for violent crime victims by raising maximum compensation limits for non-pecuniary damage. Under the plan, the maximum payout would increase to 8,140 euros in cases where a violent crime results in severe health impairment or affects a minor. For minor health impairment or physical pain inflicted on a minor, the maximum compensation would rise to 4,440 euros. The ministry reported that fund revenues grew more than fourfold between 2020 and 2025, climbing from approximately 0.95 million euros to 4 million euros. By the end of 2025, the fund accumulated roughly 3.7 million euros in unspent reserves, which officials intend to use for these enhancements without requiring additional state budget funds.
Accumulated reserves finance legal aid and specialized training
Accumulated reserves in the Crime Victims Fund would also finance secondary state-guaranteed legal aid and specialized training for attorneys under the ministry’s plan. The specialized training focuses heavily on preparing legal professionals to represent minors, victims of sexual assault, and other individuals with specialized protection needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much money is currently accumulated in the compensation fund?
By the end of 2025, the Crime Victims Fund had accumulated approximately 3.7 million euros in unspent reserves. The Justice Ministry notes that its proposed benefit increases and legal aid expansions will draw directly from these existing funds without requiring extra state budget allocations.
What are the proposed maximum compensation amounts for victims?
When a violent crime causes severe health impairment or affects a minor, the maximum compensation would increase to 8,140 euros. If a violent crime results in a minor sustaining minor health impairment or physical pain, the proposed maximum compensation would rise to 4,440 euros.
How is the fund currently financed and administered?
The state allocates 100 tūkst. eurų each year toward the administration of the existing Crime Victims Fund. Meanwhile, actual compensation payouts rely on roughly 700 tūkst. eurų collected annually from offenders.