Former priest charged with sex assault of young girl in Manitoba in the 1970s

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LENNARD, Man. - Mounties have charged a former priest living in Regina with sexually assaulting a young girl in Manitoba five decades ago.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/08/2024 (498 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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.

The RCMP logo is seen outside the force's 'E' division headquarters in Surrey, B.C., on Thursday, March 16, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
The RCMP logo is seen outside the force's 'E' division headquarters in Surrey, B.C., on Thursday, March 16, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

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.

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said RCMP began investigating earlier this year.

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