Television Markíza reported that Križian only asked for a conditional sentence for his act, but he left the court with a sentence that is unprecedented in Slovakia in similar cases. “For victims of sexual violence, it is a historic moment. For ‘predators in cassocks’, it is a warning and a hard message that cannot be ignored,” said the television. “I didn’t expect it at all. It really pays to fight and there are a lot of people who will support you. The feeling is indescribable when it finally closes,” said Monika.
Both the defense attorney and the prosecutor described the court’s decision as groundbreaking and very important for the entire society. “It is a deterrent for other possible perpetrators of such acts, so I very much welcome it and I believe that it helped the victim and the public,” said the victim’s legal representative, Marcel Boris. “As a society, we should certainly not tolerate the commission of criminal acts by representatives of the church. I think a clear message was sent in this direction,” said prosecutor Alexandra Mesiarkinová.
Oral sex at the rectory
The sexual abuse of then twelve-year-old Monika took place in Orava in the north of Slovakia. “I fell in love and then one fails. The guy just woke up in me,” claims the former priest. “We basically went to the same school, or rather I was in the sixth grade at the time, and because it was a church school, he was the head priest there. The first oral sex happened when we met at his rectory,” said Monika.
At the age of sixteen, Monika had serious psychological problems. The case went to court, where the priest did not deny his guilt, but asked for a suspended sentence. He referred to his hitherto orderly life. The defense attorney of the former priest, Anton Slamka, said that although they kept the deadline for appeal, he believes that they will not appeal. “I am willing to accept the punishment that was meted out to me. I sincerely regret it and I really want to apologize to the victim, I never wanted to hurt her,” said Križian.
