• Source:JND
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A Canadian court has stayed all charges against Arul Savari, an Indian-origin priest, on the second day of his trial following testimony from a nine-year-old girl in a Winnipeg courtroom, CBC News reported on Thursday. Savari had been accused of sexually assaulting the young girl in Little Grand Rapids First Nation the previous year.

The nine-year-old girl said that last year in Little Grand Rapids, the priest sexually molested her. On Tuesday, First Nation said in court that she recalled being terrified when the priest reportedly led her to his bedroom within the church on that particular day.

According to the girl, who is anonymous due to a publishing ban, Arul Savari then undressed. She claimed that Savari, whom she referred to as ‘Father Arul’, kissed her, stroked her ‘belly’ and legs, and declared his love for her. 

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The girl testified that after leaving the church, Arul Savari told her not to tell her mother about the incident, but she informed her mother regardless. This led to the police being alerted to the alleged incident in their remote First Nation community, located 265 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg.

Savari’s Lawyers Challenge Key Details In Allegations

Savari's defence lawyers questioned the girl’s allegations, pointing out that she did not initially share all details with her mother and highlighting inconsistencies in her statements, including whether Savari had removed his underwear.

Savari, originally from India, served as a priest in Little Grand Rapids and Pauingassi First Nations for six years before his arrest. He had been living in Winnipeg during this time, according to the RCMP.

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After his arrest, Savari was suspended from all ministerial duties and prohibited from any contact with former parishioners and children, as stated in a 2023 news release from the Archdiocese of St Boniface.