OAKVILLE (CANADA)
Oakville News [Ontario, CA]
April 7, 2026
By Ramona Leitao
“I want to make sure other students don’t have to experience what I experienced,” the student says
Content warning: This article contains details about alleged sexual assault and may be distressing to some readers. Resources for support are listed at the end of this article.
An Oakville student is calling for accountability from the Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB) after she says she was sexually assaulted while completing a volunteer placement promoted to students to fulfill mandatory graduation requirements.
The high school student, who is being identified as “Jane” due to ongoing court proceedings, spoke with Oakville News alongside her lawyer and father about her experience and the broader concerns it has raised about student safety.
According to the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS), the alleged incident took place while Jane was volunteering at St. Dominic’s Roman Catholic Church. Police say they began investigating in early February after receiving a complaint of a sexual assault involving an adult female.
As a result of the investigation, Reverend Ranjan D’Sa (53) of Oakville has been charged with one count of sexual assault. Investigators are also concerned that there may be additional victims.
Following the charge, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hamilton removed the Oakville pastor from the parish and prohibited him from ministry.
The allegations against D’Sa have not been proven in court.
Read more here: Diocese of Hamilton removes Oakville pastor pending police investigation