Military graduates major general. Dany Fortin did not commit sexual assault

The military will not take administrative action against Major General. Dany Fortin after his supervisor concluded he did not believe Fortin committed sexual assault on campus as a cadet more than 30 years ago.

A Quebec judge in December acquitted Fortin of a sexual assault charge brought in response to an alleged 1988 incident at the Royal Military College in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.

The judge said that while he believed the complainant had been sexually abused, he was not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that her attacker was Fortin.

After Fortin’s trial concluded, the military conducted its own review to determine whether he should face professional consequences based on a burden of proof that is easier to meet than that used in criminal trials.

The Department of Defense (DND) said Vice Admiral Bob Auchterlonie reviewed Fortin’s case and concluded that he “did not engage in sexual misconduct based on the balance of probabilities.”

“Therefore, the process did not result in any administrative action and an administrative review is not required,” DND spokesman Daniel Le Bouthillier said in a statement to CBC News.

“There are no words to describe my disappointment,” said the complainant, whose identity is protected by a court-ordered public ban.

“This is exactly why women don’t come forward. Nothing has encouraged change to trust senior leadership to follow policies and procedures when it comes to their own leadership.”

Fortin files an official complaint

Fortin, who has claimed he never had physical contact with the complainant, opposed DND and said his case was “resolved”.

“I strongly disagree with the notion that my issue has reached the ‘resolution’ stage,” Fortin said in a statement sent to CBC News.

Fortin has filed an official complaint with the Military Police Complaints Commission. He said he had concerns about the way military police handled his case.

VIEW | Judge acquits Major General. Fortin from one count of sexual assault:

He also plans to pursue his appeal in federal court. Fortin claims the government removed him from his role as head of Canada’s vaccine task force in 2021 without due process and due to political interference. The government has denied the claims.

Fortin said he wanted work assignments commensurate with his rank and experience.

“I look forward to serving Canadians in a position in the Canadian Armed Forces commensurate with my rank and experience,” he said. “My current assignment certainly doesn’t fit that definition.”

He said he is currently a senior adviser to the commander of the Canadian Joint Operations Command and has not received any work since 2021, when the investigation first began.

Fortin said he has had four jobs “as a two-star general” – as commander of the First Canadian Division, chief of staff of the Canadian Joint Operations Command, commander of the NATO training mission in Iraq and head of Canada’s COVID-19 task force.