The Prosecutor Does Not Set Aside Weapons: A Renowned Lithuanian Equestrian Accused of Raping a Finnish Woman at T. Barštys' Luxury Horse Farm is Requested to be Sent to Prison
A Lithuanian prosecutor is urging a court to impose a prison sentence on a celebrated rider accused of raping a Finnish woman at a luxury horse farm.
Laura Mačiulytė-Valaitė, a prosecutor in Kaunas, is advocating for a substantial prison sentence for a renowned equestrian following allegations of rape against a Finnish woman at a luxury horse farm owned by the prominent businessman Tautvydas Barštys in Alytaus District. The court is set to breach the prosecutor's appeal in March, as this case has drawn considerable attention due to the severity of the charges and the profile of the accused.
The victim, while not an equestrian herself, had been engaged in the equestrian sports industry and had participated in competitions alongside the accused, who is significantly older. Prosecutor Mačiulytė-Valaitė has noted that the defendant initially denied the allegations during the preliminary investigation, only confessing in court when presented with overwhelming evidence. She expressed concerns regarding the potential leniency of the sentence, emphasizing that the defendant's acknowledgment of guilt should not be seen as a mitigating factor in determining his punishment.
In response to the circumstances surrounding the crime, the prosecutor has deemed it necessary to advocate for a harsher sentence, suggesting a prison term of one year and ten months. She argued that there were no exceptional factors that would warrant viewing such a punishment as excessively harsh or unjust, reaffirming the principle that justice must be served in light of the serious nature of the offense committed in a public and notable setting.