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	Visiting Ukrainian Rite Priest Acquitted of Assault Charges By Patrick Downes Hawaii Catholic Herald August 25, 2011 http://www.hawaiicatholicherald.org/Home/tabid/256/newsid884/3809/Default.aspx After a short deliberation, an Oahu Circuit Court jury acquitted a visiting Ukrainian rite Catholic priest on Aug. 8 of all charges of kidnapping and sex assault resulting from an alleged incident that his attorney said was "fabricated." The presiding judge at the Aug. 1-4 trial was Collette Garibaldi. Father Bohdan Borowec, a priest of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada, was scheduled to return home on Aug. 14, according to his attorney Shawn Luiz. "The Canadian Government requested emergency travel documents issued for their citizen and that Father [Borowec] return to Canada as soon as possible," he said in an e-mail to the Hawaii Catholic Herald last week. Luiz relayed the following message from Father Borowec following the verdict: "The most sincere thanks to all who prayed for me. You will be in my prayers at the altar. It is time for reflection and healing. Peace be with you and may Holy Mother Mary protect you." Father Borowec was arrested on Feb. 16 for the alleged assault of an adult woman on Feb. 13 on the grounds of Holy Trinity Parish in Kuliouou where he celebrated the weekly liturgy for Hawaii's St. Sophia Ukrainian Greek Catholic Mission in the chapel of the former convent. He had been in Hawaii on vacation. An Oahu grand jury on Feb. 23 handed down an indictment of kidnapping and two counts of third degree assault. The accusation brought with it a flurry of media attention in Hawaii and Canada. However, coverage of Father Borowec's exoneration has been "minimal," Luiz said. In a statement following Father Borowec's acquittal Luiz said, "The defense produced evidence at trial that demonstrated the complaining witness fabricated the charges …" Commenting on the case, Luiz told the Hawaii Catholic Herald that, "In cases of being falsely accused, the priest's reputation is effectively destroyed while the accuser, on the other hand, enjoys anonymity and suffers no loss of reputation or negative material consequences." Luiz said that, due to the allegations, the priest's archeparchy, the Ukranian rite's equivalent of archdiocese, put him on "administrative leave pending the outcome of the trial." Because of that, during the six months Father Borowec was detained in Hawaii, he could not publicly celebrate the liturgy. "He spent much of his time in prayer, and spent his days with the family who gave him a home," Luiz said. Friends of the priest created The Borowec Innocence Project, a website that includes a description of "what really happened" and five pages of testimony primarily from Canadian parishioners supporting Father Borowec. The website said the incident in question was in reality two courteous hugs and kisses on the cheek the priest exchanged with a woman, which were witnessed by a student who lives on the property. The woman called the police three days after the incident. The more than 20 testimonials on the website were full of support and encouragement for the priest. "We know that you are suffering a great pain and injustice. Please be strong!! We are with you with our prayers. Do not give up! The truth will overcome!" said one. Another wrote, "You may never know why this strange event happened to you, but hopefully you can somehow turn it into a blessing for yourself and others. This too, shall pass! May the love and light of God be within you and comfort you." And another said, "We ask our good and merciful Lord that he would bless you and everyone who in any way is involved in this case and we ask that His compassionate justice will be shown. … I have not encountered any ill-will or animosity to any party, but only trust in the Lord that in the end justice will prevail and all those involved will do the right thing and be blessed for it." Hawaii's St. Sophia Mission, which has a membership of about 20, belongs to the Ukrainian Eparchy (diocese) of St. Nicholas in Chicago which covers some 17 U.S. states. The Ukrainian rite is one of several eastern Catholic churches that recognize the authority of the pope and are in union with Rome. Luiz, who defended Father Borowec pro bono, said the priest plans to return to Hawaii "to be reunited with his friends in Christ who helped him through this difficult time."
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