Woman Sentenced to 4 Years for Burning Down Coptic Orthodox Church in BC

St. John Baptiste Parish Catholic church, as firefighters put out hot spots, in Morinville, Alberta, on June 30, 2021. Jason Franson/The Canadian Press

A woman has been sentenced to four years in prison for burning down a Coptic Orthodox church in British Columbia last year following the discovery of unmarked graves at residential schools.

Kathleen Panek, 35, pleaded guilty to two counts of arson in relation to the burning of the St. George Coptic Orthodox Church in Surrey’s Whalley neighbourhood on July 19, 2021, reported Global News.