On Thursday, Saskatoon priest Janko Kolosnjaji was sentenced after being found guilty of sexual assault of a minor back in February of this year.
Back in 2023, a 13-year-old girl who remained nameless during this case got a job cleaning St. George Ukrainian Catholic church with her newly-immigrated Ukrainian family. The young girl went by herself to get a vacuum when Kolosnjaji asked the girl for a hug.
The girl went on to describe the hug as lasting for 15 to 20 seconds before he raised her chin and kissed her on the lips, adding that after the kiss, he mentioned how beautiful her eyes are. According to prosecutor Sheryl Fillo, this was the girl’s first kiss.
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Kolosnjaji described the scene a bit differently, sharing he heard a noise in the storage closet and went to check on the girl. He said when he entered, she seemed scared, so he offered her a hug and then went to kiss her forehead.
The kiss landed on her lips after the girl unexpectedly looked up. The priest testified that a “kiss of peace” is customary to show support in Catholicism.
When Kolosnjaji was found guilty, the 70-year-old priest collapsed in court due to a prior heart issue. Due to his age and medical condition, his lawyers argued that jail time would be a cruel punishment given the priest did not seek sexual gratification from the action. The Crown recommended eight months in prison with 18 months of probation.
The judge said that she considered a jail sentence of 12 to 18 months but deemed that unfair. Ultimately, she sentenced Kolosnjajito eight months in prison with 18 months of probation, adding that since he is at such a low risk to re-offend, he would not have to register as a sex offender.
The family of the young girl teared up and hugged each other after the sentence was read, telling their lawyer they are looking forward to finally moving on with their lives.
Since the incident, the church has not allowed the priest to work and has denied him his pension.
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