Lithuanian Woman Hiding in Wardrobe Arrested in Northern Ireland Over Teen Sex Assault
A Lithuanian woman convicted of sexually assaulting a minor was arrested in Northern Ireland after fleeing a suspended prison sentence. She had been hiding in a rural property wardrobe.
Lithuanian Woman Hiding in Wardrobe Arrested in Northern Ireland Over Teen Sex Assault
Northern Ireland police detained a Lithuanian national who had concealed herself inside a wardrobe at a countryside property near Coleraine. The woman, identified as M. Patapovaitė, was wanted for failing to serve a two-year prison term imposed for the sexual assault of a teenager.
The offence took place nearly eight years ago. In 2016, Patapovaitė and four male accomplices used force to take a girl born in 2002 to an abandoned house. There, the group made the minor watch a sexual act. The abuse escalated when several of the attackers, exposing themselves, began rubbing against the teenager. When she resisted, she was met with violence and threats and was forced to satisfy the sexual demands of all four perpetrators.
The crime came to light within days. Patapovaitė, believed to be one of the main instigators, was initially remanded in custody for fifteen days before being placed under parental supervision. In November 2022, the Telšiai District Court Mažeikiai division found her guilty of sexually assaulting a minor and handed down a two-year custodial sentence, suspended for two years.
The four men involved in the assault also avoided actual imprisonment but were ordered to pay the victim non-pecuniary damages.
In December 2022, Patapovaitė was entered into the Probation Service register and informed of the conditions governing her suspended sentence. Between late February and early April 2023, she attended the Plungė Open Youth Centre and completed a five-session programme titled "Behaviour-Conversation-Change." However, on 24 April 2023 she committed her first breach by failing to study or work as the court had ordered.
The Probation Service twice asked the Kaunas District Court to revoke the suspension and send her to prison, but both requests were denied. After the behavioural restrictions expired, Patapovaitė stopped reporting to the Probation Service. From January to March 2024, she ignored repeated phone calls. She sent one text message promising to call back, yet never did.
In early March 2024, the Probation Service asked Kaunas County Police to locate her, and the following day petitioned the court again to cancel the suspension. On 2 April 2024, the Kaunas District Court granted the request, ordering her to serve the two-year sentence. The ruling took effect at the end of August 2024.
Kaunas County Police Criminal Police Serious Crimes Investigation Division launched a manhunt, and from 3 September 2024 Patapovaitė was listed as evading punishment. Information later suggested she might be in Germany or Sweden, prompting Kaunas Regional Court to issue a European Arrest Warrant in November 2024.
Because the European Arrest Warrant is not valid in the United Kingdom, on 30 March 2025 investigators applied to the Kaunas Regional Court for a UK-specific arrest warrant, which was issued on 14 April 2025.
On 3 June 2025, officers of the Police Service of Northern Ireland found Patapovaitė hiding in a wardrobe at a rural property near Coleraine. The following day, a Northern Irish court held a hearing on her extradition to Lithuania.
According to the Lithuanian Police Department, once a foreign court makes a final decision to transfer a person under a European Arrest Warrant or an extradition request, the individual must be handed over within fifteen calendar days, although this period may be extended by mutual agreement.
Source: Kauno Diena
Source: Google News LT — Crime (lt)