A Catholic priest originally from Kerala has been arrested in Canada on charges related to sexual offences involving a minor, according to The Times of India.

The priest, Fr James Cherickal, is affiliated with the Archdiocese of Toronto and has been serving as the pastor of St Jerome’s Catholic Church in Brampton since 2024. Peel Regional Police laid charges against him on December 18, including one count of sexual assault and one count of sexual interference. Under Canadian law, sexual interference refers to sexual touching of any part of a person under the age of 16 for sexual purposes.

Fr Cherickal has been associated with multiple parishes under the Archdiocese of Toronto since 1997. Following standard protocols for allegations of misconduct, the Archdiocese has removed him from pastoral duties. The Archdiocese emphasised that, under Canadian law, Fr Cherickal is considered innocent until proven guilty and is entitled to due process.

The Archdiocese also highlighted that any accusation of misconduct is treated as a serious matter requiring urgent attention.