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Conviction Christian institutions & contexts Orthodox Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada · 2025

Canada: Saskatoon Ukrainian Catholic priest convicted of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old parishioner

Record class

Core record

Evidence status

Convicted

Authority role

Priest, Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of St. George, Saskatoon

Organization

Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saskatoon, Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of St. George

Spiritual nexus

A child parishioner encountered and assaulted by her priest inside the cathedral, using his clerical presence and access to justify physical contact.

  • Pastoral or clerical authority

Evidence structure

Proceedings

  1. 2025-10-01 · convicted at trial; sentenced

    Saskatchewan Provincial Court. Fr. Janko Kolosnjaji, 72, was found guilty in February 2025 of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl by kissing her without consent in a supply closet at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of St. George, Saskatoon, in 2023. The judge rejected a defence that the kiss was a cultural greeting. He was sentenced in October 2025 to eight months' imprisonment followed by 18 months' probation; the judge considered but declined a 12-18 month term. He retains the right to appeal.

Documented coercion mechanisms

  • clerical authority over a parish child, with a claimed 'cultural greeting' defence rejected by the court
  • access via a private area of the cathedral (supply closet)

Primary record

Sources

press news report CBC News, 'Saskatoon priest defibrillated in courtroom after he's found guilty of sexually assaulting teen girl.'

Reports the guilty finding, rejected cultural-greeting defence, and location.

press news report CBC News, 'Saskatoon priest sentenced to 8 months for 2023 sexual assault.'

Reports the sentence and probation term.

Related record

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