The first Frank Stronach trial, set to begin today, has been delayed
The 93-year-old billionaire is accused of sexual assault by 13 women, seven of whom are complainants in this trial
The first of three sexual assault trials for Canadian billionaire Frank Stronach was set to begin this morning in Toronto, but has been delayed.
The 93-year-old Stronach, an Order of Canada recipient and the founder of Magna International, is accused of sexually assaulting 13 different women. In the Toronto trial, Stronach will face 12 charges brought forward by seven complainants.
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In addition to the trial in Toronto, a separate trial will take place in Newmarket later this year. There will also be a separate civil trial involving a former intern at his company, who was 19 at the time of the alleged assault.
In court today, Stronach’s lawyer, Leora Shemesh, requested additional time to prepare. Shemesh said a “voluminous” amount of new information had been received through disclosure. As reported by the Canadian Press, the case is set to resume Thursday.
Some of the complainants’ allegations against the auto-parts magnate date back 50 years, though the allegations at the centre of the Newmarket trial are from as recently as February 2024.
Stronach called the allegations “lies” when interviewed by CBC’s The Fifth Estate two years ago, shortly after his arrest.
Related: Frank Stronach officially steps down as a director of Magna International
Carly Lewis is a journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times and the New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, Wired, Interview Magazine, Pitchfork, Elle, and Maclean’s, where she is a contributing editor. Her work has been recognized by the National Magazine Awards and the Digital Publishing Awards. She reports on city life, culture—including what people do online—politics, art and crime. She received the Dave Greber Freelance Writers Award for “The Murder of Ashley Wadsworth,” an investigative feature about a Canadian teenager who was killed by a man she met on social media, published by Maclean’s.
