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Bouquet of colors
As already written, the Kaunas law enforcement officers made no secret that this case sought to prove that such things are punishable.
Sixteen fans of the Vilnius Rytas basketball club were sitting on the bench due to a violation of public order. One of them – by the way, and the only one with higher education, also accused of theft – took a backpack from an unidentified victim who had previously been hit on the head.
This was the company’s first confrontation with Temide. As it turned out, when these eighteen- and 33-year-olds appeared before the Kaunas District Court, most of them were working during the offense for which they were tried: they appeared in court as transport managers, waiters, storekeepers, operators of an international company, finisher, builder, printing worker.
Others stated that they study at the Vilnius Faculty of Technology and Design or the S. Nėris Gymnasium. The twelfth of these convicts was the youngest in the company. He was still a minor at the time of the attack.
Among the accused was an ordinary member of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
The attack, which caused them to find themselves on the bench, took place on October 7, 2018, before the first game of the Lithuanian basketball league of that season between Rytas and Žalgiris. Although they took place in Vilnius, fans of “Rytas” attacked their opponents in their stronghold: Kaunas.
Kaunas Police Photo.
Traces of crime online
According to the Kaunas law enforcement officers investigating the attack, he was prepared.
In the social network Facebook group “LR support”, which was later abolished, among the fans “Rytas” belonging to the scandalous tribune group “B”, invitations to go to Kaunas were distributed – a poster was hung in the stadium “Žalgiris” .
Those who want to go are invited to come to the Statoil gas station on Vilnius Savanorių Avenue. All are advised to dress in dark clothing. Four cars left Kaunas towards the mentioned gas station.
As it turned out, after opening the case in court, the fifth crew arrived at the scene of Alytus’s attack that day. One of the convicts came from him. Although most of them are actual residents of Vilnius. And when they went to court, most of them said that they had learned for what purpose they came to Kaunas then, only to the Rimi store on Savanorių Avenue. It was known that fans of “Žalgiris” who go to Vilnius by bus gather here. They were soon attacked by an ambush.
Midday attack
The stories of the witnesses of the event about what was happening then in the middle of the day, around 3 pm took place at said site, eloquent.
A witness who brought his son, who was on his way to Vilnius on the aforementioned Žalgiris fan bus, said that from what he had seen, he was even afraid to let his passenger out of the car. A gang of about 20 black-clad and hooded athletes made their way toward Rimi’s entrance. She was not only highly organized but also disciplined. Some of the gang members wore masks. He soon ambushed a medium-sized group of young men with Žalgiris paraphernalia standing outside Rimi.
Some witnesses pointed out that most of the members of this aggressive gang wore gloves. When they released their fists to work, there was considerable confusion, during which one of the assailants grabbed his bloody nose.
None of the victims could be identified. Although law enforcement officers turned to “Žalgiris” fans to obtain that information. No reply was received.
Not all ready
The attackers were identified based on Rimi video recordings. Although they disguised themselves and covered their faces with masks, hoods, scarves or helmets, they could be identified and soon almost a ball of yarn was unwound.
In addition, upon returning to Vilnius and burning the loot at one of the roadside sites, the attackers had several handkerchiefs with the attributes of “Žalgiris” removed, with which they had been photographed before, reminding them of their feet, most of them the transgressors of public order were already without masks. And these images were also distributed on the social network Facebook. By the way, 24 people were registered in them, although only sixteen were processed.
Fourteen of the sixteen convicts pleaded guilty. They both denied it.
While testifying in court, almost everyone tended to mitigate their guilt. They went to Kaunas then just to scare “Žalgiris” fans, who would not dare to come to Vilnius.
Fly and own
Most of the defendants also declared that they were at the end of that threatening crowd and did nothing to anyone, because when the first one attacked the opponents, they fled losing their scarves, which they had left to collect.
One recounted how he himself became a victim of himself at that moment: when he lifted the “Žalgiris” scarf from the ground and put it on, he was held by a stranger and received a hail of blows for it.
However, one defendant still said why they were going to Kaunas at that time. It is said that on the eve a humiliating inscription appeared in front of the photo of “Rytas” fans on the Internet. Of the latter, only one word was mentioned in public hearing: “screams.”
“We wanted to show that we cannot be offended either. It was our response to their actions. And, by the way, not specific,” said this defendant, accused of hiding one of the opponents he knew in his head.
Various sanctions have been proposed
Nine particularly contrite defendants asked to be cleared of bail. Among those who agreed to guarantee them was a Vilnius University professor, mother of a defendant. And among the lawyers who defend them is the former first head of the Special Investigation Service Juozas Gaudutis.
The prosecutor of the Kaunas District Prosecutor’s Office, Darius Dziegoraitis, who supported the accusation in this case, agreed that they would be released from criminal responsibility on bail, but paying 500 euros to the Crime Victims Fund.
Photo by Laimis Steponavičius
Fines were offered to the other seven defendants. The largest, worth 2,550 euros, are for two who do not admit their guilt. These, upon hearing this, said they were shocked. Although the prosecutor explained that these are the minimum fines for his crime. The maximum would reach 6,250 euros.
The remaining five who pleaded guilty were offered an additional one-third reduction of the minimum fine to 1,700 euros. Although such fines, depending on who are offered, are difficult to bite.
The defendants’ lawyers, who did not have a minority, asked the court to acquit their defendants. Apparently, they were not in breach of public order.
Kaunas District Court verdict
Last December, the judge of the Kaunas Virginijus Kalkauskas District Court, who examined the case, released from criminal responsibility on bail and without any bail, setting a bail of one year and terminating the criminal case against them, not nine, but ten condemned. However, nine of them have been sanctioned with a contribution of € 250 to the Victims’ Fund, which must be paid within two months of the entry into force of the sentence.
The 10th person acquitted of bail in this case was the only defendant who was a minor at the time of the attack. He received another criminal sanction, a warning and a six-month restriction on his conduct. During this period, you must be home at night and work 30 hours free of charge in institutions that care for the sick, elderly, or disabled. At least 10 hours a month.
However, if the acquitted person commits a fault or negligent fault during that year of bail, the pardon granted to him may be reviewed. Oh, if they commit a new willful crime during that period, they may already be responsible for both this one and the one they were acquitted today.
The remaining six defendants were fined 2,550 euros. Judge V. Kalkauskas explained that they were larger than those requested by the prosecutor, because an abbreviated examination of the evidence had not been applied during the examination of the case. However, for two convicted persons, this fine, including one day of detention after arrest, was reduced to 2,400 euros.
All those convicted must pay the fines within twelve months after the entry into force of the sentence.
The stopwatch is already running
Only four of the six convicts who failed to get out of the water appealed against the Kaunas District Court ruling.
The rest, like those acquitted of criminal responsibility, followed for more than ten months how this would end: if the Kaunas Regional Court, to which the complaint was filed, would not increase the penalties for the authors of the complaints and reports, and the acquitted of criminal responsibility.
The panel of judges of the Kaunas Danguolė Šiugždinytė, Jurga Vasiliauskienė and Kęstutis Dargužis Regional Court, which examined the complaints, first did not comply with the complainants’ request to resume examination of the evidence.
And today it was announced that the punishment imposed on them is fair. This means that the timer is starting to tick, how long it takes those acquitted to replenish the Victims Fund and those who have been fined to pay.
Restrictions on the freedom of the minor at the time of the crime also come into force.
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