Frank Stronach, the 93-year-old founder of Canadian auto parts giant Magna International, was found guilty on five charges of sexual assault. This verdict concludes a high-profile trial that began in February related to incidents stretching back decades. Stronach had initially faced 12 charges involving seven complainants, but prosecutors withdrew five charges and the judge, Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy, deemed evidence from one complainant unreliable, leading to the acquittal on several counts.
The five remaining charges, linked to three complainants, include allegations of indecent assault from 1977, three charges including a historical charge of rape from the early 1980s, and a sexual assault charge also from the early 1980s. Stronach's defense team argued that the accusers lied and changed their narratives over time, claiming the police investigation was negligent. Despite these arguments, Justice Molloy found Stronach guilty on the five counts, highlighting the judge's assessment of the credibility and reliability of the witnesses involved.
Stronach, who denied all allegations and pleaded not guilty, did not testify during the trial. He is also set to face a separate trial on similar charges in Newmarket, Ontario, in May of next year. The erosion of the initial case against him, from 12 charges across seven complainants to five charges across three, underscores the challenges inherent in prosecuting historical sexual assault cases, where memories can be inexact and evidence more difficult to establish.
