Canadian billionaire businessman Frank Stronach has been found guilty of one count of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault, marking a significant development in a criminal case involving allegations spanning several decades.
The verdict was delivered Friday by Ontario Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy following a trial that began in February. In her judgment, Molloy described some of Stronach’s conduct as “gross and disgusting” while convicting him on two charges connected to incidents that occurred in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Stronach, 93, was arrested and charged by police in 2024 with multiple criminal offenses, including allegations of sexual assault and rape. The accusations covered an extensive period, with alleged incidents dating from the 1970s through 2024.
According to the ruling, Molloy found Stronach guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in the early 1980s. The woman testified that the assault took place after she visited Stronach’s Toronto condominium following dinner at a nearby location. The judge accepted the evidence related to that allegation and entered a conviction on the sexual assault charge.
Molloy also convicted Stronach of one count of indecent assault connected to an incident in the late 1970s. The charge involved a woman who alleged that Stronach groped her while she was at his condominium.
However, the court acquitted Stronach on several other charges. Among the allegations for which he was found not guilty were attempted rape and rape. The ruling narrowed the scope of criminal liability from the broader set of accusations initially brought against the businessman.
Stronach did not testify during the trial proceedings.
Following the judgment, one of Stronach’s lawyers, Leora Shemesh, highlighted the dismissal of the more serious charges. In an emailed statement, Shemesh said the defense team was “extremely happy” that allegations of rape and additional sexual assault counts had been dismissed by the court.
At the same time, Shemesh said the defense was dissatisfied with the two convictions. “We are disappointed by the convictions on the two very minor offenses,” she said.
Stronach is widely known as the founder of Magna International, the Canadian auto parts company he established in 1957. Over the following decades, he became one of Canada’s wealthiest business figures. Magna stated that it has had no affiliation with Stronach since he relinquished control of the company in 2010.
The case is not yet fully concluded. Stronach is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date on the two convictions. He also faces another sexual assault trial next year, ensuring that legal proceedings involving the businessman will continue beyond the current judgment.
The verdict closes one chapter in a high-profile case that drew attention because of both the seriousness of the allegations and Stronach’s longstanding prominence in Canadian business. The court’s ruling leaves in place two criminal convictions while clearing him of several other charges brought during the proceedings.
