WINNIPEG — A man who tried to stab a Catholic pastor in the middle of a Sunday religious service last winter in Winnipeg will have to stay in a hospital psychiatric unit and abstain from alcohol and other intoxicants.
Pawel Olownia was found not criminally responsible for the Feb. 9 incident at Holy Ghost Parish, which saw him unsuccessfully attempt to attack a pastor with a knife bearing a 10-centimetre blade.
Olownia, who was 50 at the time, underwent a psychiatric assessment that found he suffered from delusions he was being persecuted by authorities.
A provincial court judge ruled he was not criminally responsible on charges including assault with a weapon and sent the case to the Criminal Code Review Board.
The board has placed several conditions on Olownia, including that he reside in a psychiatric ward, abstain from intoxicants and not attend a Catholic church or contact the victim.
The board disposition, dated July 30, also bans Olownia from possessing any weapons, and says he may be granted passes from the hospital on the recommendation of his treatment team.
The Criminal Code Review Board annually reviews the conditions placed on people found not criminally responsible and can make adjustments based on factors such as public safety and the reintergration of the individual into society.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 21, 2025
Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press
