Frank Stronach, 93, Convicted on Two Counts in Toronto Sexual Assault Trial. Sentencing Set for September.

Ontario Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy delivered her verdict Friday morning in Toronto: Frank Stronach, 93-year-old founder of auto parts giant Magna International, is guilty of two criminal offences stemming from incidents decades ago.

The two convictions are sexual assault against a former employee at Rooney's, his restaurant and nightlife complex, and indecent assault against a woman who frequented the venue in the 1970s. Sentencing is scheduled for September 17, according to CP24.

What the Court Found

Stronach had faced 12 charges involving seven complainants when the Toronto trial opened in February 2026. By the time arguments wrapped in April, prosecutors had withdrawn one charge and agreed on four more acquittals. Justice Molloy then found one remaining complainant's account unreliable and declined to convict on that basis, according to the Canadian Press. That narrowed the live charges to five, related to three women.

Molloy found Stronach guilty on two of those five charges and acquitted him on the other three.

The first conviction, sexual assault, involved a former Rooney's employee. She testified she met Stronach for dinner in the early 1980s after reaching out about her termination. She described him as a "fatherly mentor" over the meal, but said she felt uneasy when he invited her to his nearby condominium. When she insisted on leaving, Stronach helped her with her coat, groping her in the process, touching her breasts and hips, she testified. Days or weeks later, she received a call offering her a job interview at Magna International, according to Barrie360.

The second conviction, indecent assault, involved a woman who frequented Rooney's in the 1970s. Justice Molloy described the conduct as "gross and disgusting." According to evidence the court accepted, as reported by hcamag, Stronach approached the complainant from behind, pushed her over the arm of a chair, raised her skirt, and made contact over her underwear without her consent. The Crown had previously withdrawn a related charge of attempted rape, but Molloy accepted the assault itself was clearly non-consensual.

The Defense's Position

Stronach showed no reaction as the verdict was read, according to CP24.

Defense lawyer Leora Shemesh acknowledged the two guilty findings but framed them as the least serious charges in the case. "Mr. Stronach has been found guilty on the least serious offences for two complainants who were not exposed in any way, he was not exposed... no one had their clothes off," Shemesh said outside court, according to CP24. She added that Stronach "really is a national treasure and should be treated as such, in my respectful opinion." Shemesh said the defense would take time to thoroughly review Justice Molloy's decision, leaving the door open to an appeal.

Stronach was acquitted on the large majority of charges he faced, including more serious ones. Justice Molloy herself found one complainant's account unreliable and declined to convict. An acquittal is an acquittal. A 93-year-old man with no prior criminal record, convicted on two counts the defense characterizes as the least serious in the indictment, is a materially different legal situation from one in which a jury or judge finds guilt on the most serious charges. Those distinctions matter in sentencing.

At the same time, two women were found by a Superior Court judge to be "credible and careful witnesses," and two guilty verdicts are two guilty verdicts. The severity framing does not erase the underlying conduct the court accepted as proven.

Who Stronach Is

Born in Austria, Stronach emigrated to Canada and built Magna International from a rented garage in the 1950s into one of the world's largest automotive parts suppliers, according to hcamag. He is a significant figure in Canadian business and political history, having also founded the short-lived Federal Party of Canada.

The allegations in this trial spanned roughly two decades, from the late 1970s through the 1990s, all centered around Rooney's and Stronach's business orbit.

What Comes Next

A separate trial involving Stronach was referenced by hcamag, meaning Friday's verdict is not the end of his legal exposure in Canada. The outlet noted the case carries implications for corporate accountability more broadly.

The unresolved question heading into sentencing on September 17 is how Justice Molloy weighs Stronach's age, the decades elapsed since the offences, the acquittals on more serious charges, and the court's own findings about the credibility of the two women whose accounts she accepted. Canadian sentencing for historical sexual offences on these facts has no automatic floor, and Stronach's defense will almost certainly argue those mitigating factors aggressively.