Sexual Assault Charges Against Peterborough Priest Withdrawn

Sexual assault and sexual interference charges that were laid on Roman Catholic priest Father Neil Pereira in late July have been withdrawn.

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The Office of the Crown Attorney had dropped all charges against Pereira after conducting a criminal investigation.

The Toronto priest was on loan to the Diocese of Peterborough and has been working in town since late 2022. Pereira also served as campus minister for Trent University and Fleming College. He was charged with sexual assault and sexual interference on July 26.

Sexual Interference is when a person, for a sexual purpose, touches, directly or indirectly, with a part of the body or with an object, any part of the body of a person under the age of 16 years.

Pereira was removed from pastoral ministry after receiving the allegations following diocesan protocols. The Diocese of Peterborough and the Archdiocese of Toronto cooperated fully with authorities and the police during the investigation.

The Diocese of Peterborough and the Archdiocese of Toronto have released a joint statement regarding the matter on Wednesday afternoon:

“As the charges have been withdrawn and the criminal investigation and process have been concluded, the Archdiocese of Toronto will conduct its ecclesial investigation in accordance with its policy. A further update at the conclusion of this investigation will be provided by the Archdiocese of Toronto.”

Police had released Pereira’s identity since the offences could lead to other possible victims.

“Every accused is entitled to due process. We recognize that any allegation of misconduct against a priest is newsworthy. At the same time, it is essential to update stories and reports to reflect that the charges have been withdrawn to assist in restoring the reputation of Fr. Pereira. Both the Archdiocese of Toronto and Diocese of Peterborough look upon any allegation of misconduct as an urgent matter that requires serious attention,” according to the joint statement.

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