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Military officer Dany Fortin acquitted on 1988 sexual assault charge

Fortin said that he never had any physical contact with a woman who made detailed allegations against him in court

Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin arrives at a Gatineau, Que. courthouse during his sexual assault trial on September 20, 2022.
Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin arrives at a Gatineau, Que. courthouse during his sexual assault trial on September 20, 2022. Photo by Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press/File

GATINEAU, Que. — A judge has acquitted Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin of sexual assault over an allegation that dates back to 1988.

The allegation stemmed from his time at the military college in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., which the complainant also attended.

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The complainant in the case told the court that she is certain “without a doubt” that the perpetrator was Fortin, and her lawyer said she brought the incident to light in 2021, after she retired, due to a fear of career repercussions.

Fortin’s lawyer cited inconsistencies between the complainant’s testimony and her previous statements to investigators last year, including details of the incident.

A key point for the defence was that while the complainant said she told her ex-boyfriend about the incident right afterward, he told the court that he had no memory of such a conversation.

Fortin was the military officer in charge of the federal government’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout until May 2021, when he was removed after the allegation came to light.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5,2022.