Saskatoon priest collapses in court after sexual assault conviction

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A Saskatoon provincial court judge found that when a Ukrainian Catholic priest hugged and kissed a 13-year-old girl while she was helping her mom clean his church, it was a sexual assault — not a religious tradition.

After Judge Lua Gibb convicted him of the offence on Wednesday, 71-year-old Janko Kolosnjaji went into medical distress, collapsing in the courtroom.

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Deputy sheriffs administered a defibrillator until EMS arrived. Defence lawyer Brian Pfefferle confirmed Thursday that his client is recovering in hospital.

Kolosnjaji’s trial began last summer. The girl, a Ukrainian refugee, testified through a translator that she was working at St. George’s Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in Saskatoon when Kolosnjaji came into a cleaning room after she dropped a vacuum on March 11, 2023.

She said the priest, who was 69 at the time, asked her to give him a hug that lasted about 15 to 20 seconds before raising her chin with one hand and kissing her on the lips. He then told her she had beautiful eyes, she said.

The girl said she told her mother what happened and they left the church in the middle of cleaning. The girl’s mother testified that she called Kolosnjaji to tell him that he upset her daughter.

The girl gave a police statement on March 17, 2023. It was played at trial as part of her evidence.

She said the priest had asked her for hugs on previous occasions, that they made her uncomfortable, and that she consented because of his religious standing.

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Kolosnjaji admitted hugging and kissing the girl on the cheek, but denied that it was sexual. He testified that it was part of a religious tradition called the “kiss of peace” to show his appreciation and to reassure her that she wasn’t in trouble.

He said he intended to kiss her forehead, but misplaced the kiss on her cheek closer to her mouth. He denied lifting her face up to his, and said he didn’t remember complimenting her eyes.

The girl testified that she always kept her head down when she hugged the priest.

“The explanation that the kiss was intended for her forehead and ended up close to her mouth is incongruent with the accused’s evidence, providing an innocent explanation for the kiss,” Gibb said.

To prove sexual assault, the Crown must establish that the touching was for a sexual purpose, and that it was done without consent.

Gibb noted that while court heard Kolosnjaji always asked for hugs, he didn’t ask the girl if she wanted a blessing or “kiss of peace,” despite it being “a far more intrusive and intimate act.”

She said another “glaring fact” is that neither the girl nor her mother were parishioners. She said she believed the girl’s testimony that Kolosnjaji had sought her out on several occasions, while she was alone, to ask for hugs.

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The girl’s mother testified that she thought the priest showed her daughter special attention.

“The culture of tolerance that a person must comply with unwanted physical exchanges, including hugs and kisses, is antiquated. Every person has the choice and the agency of their bodily integrity, and that is protected by the law through consent,” Gibb said.

She noted that the girl couldn’t legally give consent because she was under the age of 16.

The defence requested a pre-sentence report for Kolosnjaji, who’s been out of custody since he was charged in April 2023. He was suspended shortly after.

Pfefferle also indicated that the defence is preparing a constitutional challenge on the mandatory minimum six-month jail sentence for sexual assault.

A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for June 16.

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