Young people leaving the residence suffered another blow in life: they lost money, were cheated and exploited

Officials from the Šiauliai County Police Organized Crime Investigation Board, together with the Šiauliai Regional Prosecutor’s Office, completed the investigation and referred a criminal case to court in which a 35-year-old man is charged with fraudulent acquisition and human trafficking. Another person, his 36-year-old friend, was released from criminal responsibility on bail by decision of the Šiauliai Chamber of the Šiauliai District Court.

The men allegedly preyed on the children of the Šiauliai orphanage and fraudulently appropriated the unique social benefits of four young people (one took three children and the other, 1 student) to settle into coming of age, and the money saved in the orphanage during your stay. Two of these students were deported to the UK, according to one study, in order to exploit them for the misappropriation of income from their work.

After conducting the investigation, officials from the Siauliai County Police Organized Crime Investigation Board collected enough data to prove crimes committed in 2013-2015.

According to the data from the pre-trial investigation, the men made contact with the Šiauliai orphanage students, who are coming of age, and gained their trust.

Taking advantage of their lack of social skills and naivety, they promised to help them establish themselves by beginning an independent life. He promised to find permanent housing and help to settle down, find a job, etc. To attract those prospects, the 18-year-olds were persuaded to write an application to leave the orphanage and apply to the municipality for one-time liquidation grants of almost 3,000 euros, which then fell into the pockets of the suspects.

And not only did they appropriate these benefits, the young people who had come of age entrusted them with the money saved in the orphanage during their life.

During the investigation, it was established that the 35-year-old defendant misappropriated the money of the children of three orphanages: one – 2,712 euros, the other – 3,845 euros, and the latter’s brother – 4,412 euros. After receiving the documents confirming the installation assignment, he acquired various furniture, appliances, video equipment and mobile phones for his own benefit. However, the promise to take the young people into permanent housing and employ them was not kept. Nor did he keep his promise to invest the money saved and transferred from the brothers during the orphanage and thus earn funds for the sustenance of the young people.

The defendants also fraudulently arranged the transfer of two children from Lithuanian orphanages to the UK, promising to care for them, but with the aim of exploiting them, that is, misappropriating their earned income. Young people worked in car washes, in construction, in container handling. The defendant stated that they owed him travel, rent, and food expenses and demanded that they transfer the money they had earned for more than half a year. The money allocated was inadequate for the debt of the youth.

The Penal Code provides for public works or fines for fraud, restriction of freedom, arrest or prison of up to three years and for trafficking in human beings from four to twelve years.