Based on coverage from The Globe and Mail and Brandon Sun.
Lawyers for Frank Stronach are moving into the final stretch of submissions at his Toronto sexual assault trial with a serious claim: that some complainants were coached by prosecutors before taking the stand.
Stronach, the 93-year-old founder of Magna International, has pleaded not guilty. The case is being heard by a judge alone, and there is no date yet for a ruling.
Frank Stronach Toronto trial enters final stage
Defence lawyers are expected to bring what’s called an abuse of process motion, arguing the court should consider whether the prosecution’s conduct crossed a line in the lead-up to testimony.
Earlier in the trial, Stronach’s team signalled it would seek a stay of proceedings, which is essentially asking the court to stop the case entirely. Last week, the defence indicated it was no longer pursuing that outcome. Instead, it’s now suggesting any alleged abuse of process should be weighed when the judge assesses the Crown’s evidence.
Defence alleges prosecutor coaching of complainants
The defence position, as laid out ahead of today’s argument, is that some complainants were coached by prosecutors before trial.
The specific allegation matters because sexual assault trials often turn on credibility and consistency: what a witness remembers, how they explain it, and whether the court believes them. If the defence persuades the judge that coaching happened in an improper way, it could affect how the judge views parts of the testimony and the reliability of the Crown’s case.
At this stage, the court has not ruled on the allegation.
Charges reduced during Toronto court proceedings
Stronach originally faced 12 charges tied to alleged incidents that took place decades ago and involved seven complainants.
As the trial went on, prosecutors withdrew five charges related to three of the women. That leaves Stronach facing seven charges connected to four women.
Withdrawn charges are not the same thing as an acquittal, but the end result is the case before the judge is narrower than when it began.
Judge rejects one complainant’s evidence as unreliable
Last week, the judge made a blunt finding about one of the remaining complainants, saying she “couldn’t possibly” convict Stronach based on that complainant’s evidence because the testimony was “completely unreliable.”
Two charges are tied to that complainant, who alleged Stronach raped her in the early 1980s. The judge’s comment signals those particular allegations, as presented at trial, cannot support a conviction.
That does not decide the rest of the case, but it is a major development in a judge-alone trial where the judge is also the finder of fact.
Newmarket Ontario trial still ahead for Stronach
Separate from the Toronto proceeding, Stronach is also set to face trial in Newmarket, Ont., later this year.
For Canadians watching the case, the key next step in Toronto is the judge’s ruling, which will come after these final legal submissions, including the defence’s abuse of process argument and how it should (or should not) affect the weight given to the Crown’s evidence.
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