Ottawa: A Quebec civilian judge has acquitted major General Dany Fortin in a 1988 sexual assault case.
Judge Richard Meredith ruled that he believed the complainant must have been sexually assaulted, but the Crown could not prove that Fortin was the man who attacked the woman.
Fortin was a military officer in charge of the federal government’s Covid-19 vaccine rollout until May 2021. But he was removed from the post after the allegations came to light.
Shortly after the verdict, Fortin said that he had been subjected to political interference. He told reporters that he wanted the military must reinstate him to an equivalent position.
According to the information, the sexually allegations stemmed when he was at the Military College in in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, and the complainant also attended it.
The complainant told the court that she had no doubt that she was sexually assaulted by Fortin and her lawyer said that the matter came to light in 2021 when she retired because she feared that her career would be ruined if she spoke earlier.