Toronto (Rajeev Sharma) — Prosecutors in the high-profile sexual assault trial of 93-year-old billionaire Frank Stronach announced on Monday, March 9, 2026, that they will now only be seeking convictions on seven of the 12 original charges. Crown attorney Jelena Vlacic informed the Ontario Superior Court that after a thorough review of the evidence, the prosecution conceded it could not meet the threshold of proof beyond a reasonable doubt for several key counts.
The reduction in the scope of the trial follows a series of setbacks for the Crown’s case over the past week. Previously, prosecutors withdrew a charge of attempted rape and a count of forcible confinement. On Monday, two additional charges of sexual assault—related to two separate complainants—were also dropped. Furthermore, the prosecution sought to withdraw a sexual assault charge involving the sixth of seven complainants who had testified. Defence lawyer Leora Shemesh has requested that Justice Anne Molloy formally enter not-guilty verdicts on all five contested charges.
Stronach, the founder of Magna International, initially pleaded not guilty to all 12 charges, which involve alleged incidents dating as far back as the 1970s. The prosecution concluded its presentation of evidence last week after calling all seven complainants to the stand. Justice Molloy had already signaled last week that Stronach would likely be found not guilty on the attempted rape charge and the counts associated with the sixth complainant, citing a lack of sufficient evidence to proceed.
As the Crown rested its case, the defence began its presentation on Monday, calling its first witness: a man with historical ties to a waterfront building where Stronach owned a condominium decades ago. The trial, which commenced in mid-February after several delays, continues to draw significant international attention. Regardless of the outcome in Toronto, Stronach is scheduled to face a separate trial in Newmarket, Ontario, later this year on another set of allegations.
