KOZHIKODE: A Catholic priest from Kerala has been arrested in Canada on charges of sexual assault and sexual interference — a term related to sexual offences involving touching any part of the body of a person under the age of 16 years for sexual purposes — and has been removed from pastoral ministry. The accused has been identified as Fr James Cherickal who serves in the archdiocese of Toronto. He has been serving as a pastor of St Jerome’s Catholic Church in Brampton since 2024. According to a statement issued by the archdiocese of Toronto, Peel Regional Police charged Fr Cherickal with one count of sexual assault and one count of sexual interference on Dec 18. Fr Cherickal has been serving in various parishes under the archdiocese since 1997. “Following our protocols and procedures relating to allegations of misconduct, Fr Cherickal has been removed from pastoral ministry,” the archdiocese said, adding that as with any accused in Canadian legal system, he is considered innocent until proven guilty and entitled to due process. The archdiocese added that it looks upon any accusation of misconduct as an urgent matter that requires serious attention.
