Ontario billionaire Frank Stronach accused of sexual offences against 3 women
Ontario billionaire Frank Stronach, 91, is accused of committing sexual offences against three women between 1980 and 2023, according to court documents.
The new details are contained in public records obtained Friday by CBC News from the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton. The documents provide further information on the charges first announced by Peel Regional Police in a brief statement a week ago.
In the court documents, Peel police allege Stronach committed the following offences:
Rape and indecent assault in July 1980 against one woman.
Sexual assault and forcible confinement against another woman in February 1986.
Sexual assault on a third woman in April 2023.
Police said Stronach was arrested on June 7 in Peel region, west of Toronto. He's due to appear in court in Brampton on July 8.
The two alleged offences dating back to the 1980s are listed as having occurred in Toronto or elsewhere in Ontario. The 2023 sexual assault is alleged to have occurred in Aurora or elsewhere in Ontario.
The allegations of rape and indecent assault predate the abolishment of those two charges from the Criminal Code. In 1983, both offences were replaced with sexual assault.
Stronach's residence is listed in the documents as an address in Aurora, in Ontario's York region.
Asked earlier this week whether York Regional Police were involved in the case, spokesperson acting Sgt. Lisa Moskaluk said in an email "it is Peel's investigation."
Stronach was ordered to surrender any passports, notify police of any change of address and to not have any contact with any of the three alleged victims.
Stronach's lawyer, Brian Greenspan, said his client "categorically denies the allegations of impropriety which have been brought against him."
"He looks forward to the opportunity to fully respond to the charges and to maintain his legacy, both as a philanthropist and as an icon of the Canadian business community," Greenspan said last Friday.
Magna says Stronach no longer affiliated with company
Born in Austria, Stronach came to Canada in 1954 and later founded Aurora-based auto parts giant Magna International. The company said in a statement that he has had no affiliation with Magna since relinquishing control in 2010.
His daughter, Belinda Stronach, a former MP for Newmarket-Aurora, leads another multinational founded by her father, the Stronach Group. Also known as 1/ST, the company specializes in thoroughbred horse racing and betting. The Stronach Group said Frank Stronach has not been involved in the company's operations for several years.
Stronach is presented with a trophy by then Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Elizabeth Dowdeswell after his horse, Shaman Ghost, won the 156th running of the Queen's Plate at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto July 5, 2015. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press)
In 2018, Frank Stronach founded Stronach International, a company focused on organic agriculture and zero-emission transportation. Stronach International did not respond to a request for comment on the charges.
Stronach is a member of the Order of Canada and the Canadian Business Hall of Fame. He holds multiple honorary degrees from institutions in Canada and abroad.
Sudbury, Ont.'s Laurentian University, which handed Stronach an honorary doctorate in business administration in 2011, said it's monitoring developments.
"We seek to have honorary degree recipients who reflect the values of the university both before and after their award," Laurentian said in a statement.
Support is available for anyone who has experienced sexual violence. You can access crisis lines and local support services through this Government of Canada website (https://bit.ly/3D1rUmb) or the Ending Violence Association of Canada database (https://bit.ly/3ilpp67). If you're in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.
