Saskatchewan priest accused of sexual assault of a minor takes the stand

Saskatoon priest Janko Kolosnjaji took the basal Friday astatine his sexual assault trial.

Kolosnjaji is accused of sexually assaulting a insignificant successful 2023 astatine St. George Ukrainian Catholic Church.  He has pleaded not blameworthy to the charge.

The incidental successful question occurred successful March of that year.

Earlier successful the trial tribunal heard a video connection from the alleged victim, who is simply a 13-year-old girl.  It was translated from Ukrainian to English for the court.

Court heard the miss was cleaning the religion with her parent and brother, a occupation her ma had secured aft fleeing the warfare successful Ukraine.

In the video, recorded connected March 12, 2023, she said her household were successful antithetic areas of the religion erstwhile Kolosnjaji approached her and asked for a hug.

Court heard she said thing and hugged him, saying helium would often inquire for hugs. She past alleged Father Kolosnjaji lifted her chin and pulled her successful for a buss connected the mouth. She besides claimed helium complimented her afterwards, saying she has precise beauteous eyes.

During his grounds connected Friday, Kolosnjaji said it’s communal successful his religion and his civilization to greet oregon bless members with a hug oregon buss connected either the shoulders oregon cheeks, admitting helium often asked the insignificant for hugs erstwhile she came to cleanable the religion with her parent arsenic a motion of “appreciation and support.”

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When questioned wherefore helium ne'er gave the aforesaid courtesy to the parent oregon younger brother, helium said helium had nary explanation.

The Crown argued careless of the customs and traditions successful greeting radical wrong his church, Kolosnjaji and the alleged unfortunate some testified that she and her household were not parishioners astatine the church.

The Crown besides highlighted Kolosnjaiji’s deficiency of mentation arsenic to wherefore helium felt helium could springiness the teen a buss without consent.

Kolosnjaji denied having kissed the miss connected the mouth, saying helium intended to buss her connected the forehead, but it landed connected her cheek.

The defence argued the buss was not intersexual successful nature, and asked the tribunal to see Kolosnjaji’s taste beliefs, traditions and mode of greeting people.

The lawsuit is present adjourned until December to acceptable a day for a decision.