Sixth complainant testifying in Frank Stronach's sexual assault trial

Mark Gollom · CBC News

· Posted: Feb 25, 2026 10:16 AM EST | Last Updated: 13 minutes ago

WARNING: This story references sexual assault allegations and may affect those who have experienced​ ​​​sexual violence or know someone affected by it.

The sixth complainant is testifying in the sexual assault trial of Canadian businessmen Frank Stronach at a Toronto courtroom.

The judge-alone trial previously heard from five of the seven female complainants, whose allegations span the period between 1977 and 1990.

Stronach, 93, faces a total of 12 charges, including sexual assault and forcible confinement. Two of the counts, rape and attempted rape, are considered historical charges as they were abolished when the Criminal Code was amended in 1983 to create the offence of sexual assault.

Stronach, founder of auto-parts giant Magna International, has denied the allegations and has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

He is also set to face a separate trial in Newmarket, Ont., later this year after the case was split into two proceedings.

On Tuesday, Stronach's lawyer Leora Shemesh wrapped up her cross-examination of the fifth complainant to testify.

The woman told court she got to know Stronach through a mutual friend in the early 1980s. In 1990, sometime in early November, she said she saw him at a hotel restaurant located in Markham or Scarborough as she was waiting for a client.

The woman said Stronach sat down with her, that they chatted for a bit, and he asked for her number. He called her the next day and they arranged to meet the following day, she said.

During that meeting, the woman, who had just months earlier given birth, told court that she became very emotional as she discussed her breakup with her boyfriend with Stronach.

The woman said Stronach was very understanding, tried to console her and suggested they continue their conversation in his hotel suite. Once in the hotel suite, she said, Stronach raped her.

Over a day and a half of cross-examination, Shemesh challenged the woman on her testimony — compared to previous statements to police and Crown attorneys — accusing her of coming up with new memories and details that were never relayed to police in 2024 or as recently as January.

Shemesh accused the complainant of having a “tendency to lie," an accusation the woman rejected.