LENNARD, Man. — Mounties have charged a former priest living in Regina with sexually assaulting a young girl in Manitoba five decades ago.
Police say they began investigating in 2022 after the complainant, who is now in her 60s, reported being sexually assaulted over two years in the early 1970s.
The alleged assaults happened when she was 11 and 12 and a parishioner at St. Elijah Romanian Orthodox Church in Lennard, near the Saskatchewan boundary.
Police say investigators tracked down multiple people to take statements, searched church records and worked with church-related organizations to gather additional material.
A warrant was issued for 81-year-old Constantin Turcoane, who turned himself in and was later released from custody.
He is to appear in court at a later date on charges of rape and sexual intercourse of a person under 14.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2024.
The Canadian Press
