A judge has acquitted Major-General Dany Fortin of sexual assault in an allegation dating back to 1988.
The accusation stemmed from her time at the Military College of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, which the complainant also attended at the same time.
The complainant had declared at the trial, in Gatineau, that she was certain, “without a doubt”, that her attacker that night was indeed Mr. Fortin. She maintained that she waited until 2021 to report him, after his retirement, for fear of repercussions on his career.
Mr. Fortin’s lawyer cited inconsistencies between the complainant’s testimony and her previous statements to investigators last year, including on the details of the alleged assault.
The defense notably insisted on the fact that the complainant had said that she confided in her ex-boyfriend immediately after the alleged attack, while this man told the court that he had no remember such a conversation.
Major-General Fortin was the officer responsible for delivering COVID-19 vaccines to the provinces until May 2021, when he was removed from his post after the allegation came to light.
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