A former priest has been arrested by Manitoba RCMP, accused of a historical sexual assault in the province in the 1970s.
In March 2022, a woman in her 60s reported to police she had been sexually assaulted multiple times over the course of two years when she was a parishioner at St. Elijah Romanian Orthodox Church in Lennard, Man., RCMP said in a news release Thursday.
At the time, the woman was 11 and 12 years old.
Constantin Turcoane, 81, of Regina, turned himself into police after a warrant was issued for his arrest.
He was released from custody pending a court date.
RCMP said the investigation took time because it involved locating and taking statements from multiple people, a search of historic church records and working with church-related organizations.
Lennard, Man., is located in the RM of Riding Mountain West.
Police believe there are other survivors and ask them to call Russell RCMP at 204-773-2675.
Last March, retired Catholic priest Arthur Massé was acquitted of indecent assault on an Indigenous girl at Fort Alexander Residential School more than 50 years ago.
Victoria McIntosh had alleged she was assaulted by Massé in a bathroom at the former Sagkeeng First Nation school sometime between 1968 and 1970, when she was around 10.
Justice Candace Grammond told court at the time said she believed the woman had been assaulted but wasn’t convinced based on McIntosh’s testimony that Massé was the person who did so.
fpcity@freepress.mb.ca