The prosecution has concluded presenting its case in the sexual assault trial involving Frank Stronach, with testimony from all seven female accusers detailing allegations of sexual assault, attempted rape, and rape against the Canadian entrepreneur dating back to the late 1970s to early 1990s.
The complainants shared similar accounts of encountering Stronach at Rooney’s, a former Toronto restaurant he owned, and later being allegedly assaulted at his Harbourfront condominium during the period in question. Throughout the proceedings, the 93-year-old Magna International founder has been in attendance, dressed in a dark suit, attentively listening to the testimonies.
Stronach faces a total of 10 charges, including historical counts of rape and attempted rape that were nullified when sexual assault laws were revised in 1983. Notably, two charges related to the sixth accuser were withdrawn by the prosecution, leaving Stronach to deny all accusations and plead not guilty to the remaining charges.
In a recent exchange with CBC’s Jamie Strashin, Stronach expressed confidence that “justice would prevail” following the testimonies of the seven complainants. Defense attorney Leora Shemesh is expected to present Stronach’s defense next week, though it remains uncertain whether he will testify.
Shemesh is set to argue for a directed verdict on two charges concerning specific complainants, contesting the validity of the allegations under the old rape legislation and whether an attempted rape charge is warranted. The Crown’s case featured eight witnesses, including the seven accusers and a colleague of the final complainant, who recounted her encounter with Stronach at Rooney’s before the alleged assault at his condo.
During the trial, the final accuser, now 69 years old, described resisting Stronach’s advances and ultimately enduring a non-consensual encounter. The defense challenged her account, suggesting that all interactions were consensual, leading to a heated exchange questioning the woman’s credibility and motives.
Despite insinuations of financial motives, the accuser reiterated that her pursuit of justice was not driven by monetary gain, emphasizing the irreparable harm caused by the alleged incidents. Additionally, her business success was scrutinized by the defense, highlighting discrepancies in financial performance that were attributed to external circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic.