A 71-year-old priest in Saskatoon has been sentenced to eight months in jail and 18 months of probation for kissing a 13-year-old girl in a supply closet at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of St. George in the Pleasant Hill neighborhood. The priest, Janko Kolosnjaji, was found guilty in February and appeared in provincial court on Thursday where his defense lawyer, Zachary Carter, confirmed the sentence.
During the court proceedings, prosecutor Sheryl Fillo highlighted the impact on the victim and her family. Fillo mentioned that the victim, who was a refugee from Ukraine, described the kiss as her first and felt extreme vulnerability due to her background. The victim herself expressed in a statement the pain, shame, and confusion she experienced following the incident, stating that the world felt hostile and dangerous to her.
The victim’s mother also emphasized the breach of trust and the devastation caused by an authority figure’s actions, describing it as the destruction of her child’s trust, dignity, and soul. The incident has had a significant impact on the victim and her family, as highlighted in the court proceedings.