A senior clergy member in Saskatoon has been sentenced to eight months in prison for kissing a 13-year-old girl inside a storage room. The 71-year-old individual made an appearance in provincial court on Thursday, where his defense attorney, Zachary Carter, confirmed the sentencing of Janko Kolosnjaji. In addition to the jail term, Kolosnjaji will serve 18 months of probation.
The incident occurred two years ago at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of St. George located in the Pleasant Hill neighborhood, resulting in Kolosnjaji’s conviction in February. During the sentencing in June, prosecutor Sheryl Fillo highlighted the profound impact on the victim and her family. Fillo emphasized that the victim, who hailed from a war-torn country (Ukraine), considered the kiss to be her first, rendering her extremely vulnerable, a fact that Kolosnjaji, being aware of her background, would have exploited.
In court, the teenage girl shared a victim impact statement expressing confusion, pain, and shame following the incident, stating that the world felt hostile and unsafe afterward. The victim’s mother also provided a statement, underscoring the breach of trust and dignity caused by the assault, emphasizing the destruction wrought upon her child’s trust, dignity, and inner self.
