Lawyer for Frank Stronach questions final complainant in sexual assault case
Written by The Canadian Press on March 3, 2026
TORONTO — A lawyer representing Frank Stronach is questioning the final complainant in the businessman’s sexual assault case about the lawyers she consulted before speaking to police.
Leora Shemesh began cross-examining the woman this morning after the court heard some legal arguments.
The woman, who is in her late 60s, testified Monday that she went on a dinner date with Stronach in the early 1980s after meeting him at Rooney’s, the restaurant and nightlife venue he owned.
She says he took her to a waterfront restaurant then invited her to his condo, which was in a building connected to the restaurant.
The woman says Stronach ended up pinning her on a cot in his apartment and she realized she couldn’t stop him from doing whatever he wanted.
Stronach, the founder and former CEO of the auto parts manufacturer Magna International, faces multiple charges related to alleged incidents that took place as far back as the 1970s. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
On Monday, prosecutors sought to withdraw a sexual assault charge related to a complainant who testified last week, but the defence argued he should be found not guilty on that count instead.
Court is expected to revisit the issue once the Crown has finished presenting its evidence.
Prosecutors last week withdrew a charge of forcible confinement related to the same complainant, who was the sixth to testify in the case.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 3, 2026.
The Canadian Press