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TORONTO – Major-General. Dany Fortin, the public face of the vaccine rollout in Canada since November, faces a sexual misconduct complaint against him that dates back more than 30 years, CTV News has learned.
Sources told CTV News that military police received a formal complaint against Fortin in March alleging a historic sexual assault. The incident, sources say, dates back 32 years to early 1989, when Fortin was a student at the Royal Military College in Saint-Jean, Quebec.
The sources, who are not authorized to speak publicly, said Fortin was under investigation for allegedly exposing himself in front of a woman.
On Friday, the Department of National Defense announced that Fortin would step down from its role of overseeing the delivery and distribution of COVID-19 vaccine doses across the country, pending the results of a military investigation.
Sources say the investigation stems from the allegation made two months ago, but it is unclear whether military police approached him.
The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service is conducting this investigation, but the actions they have taken to date remain confidential. The allegation has not been proven in court.
In a statement, Fortins’ attorney said he was unaware of the allegation until CTV News contacted him and Fortin completely denies any wrongdoing. Fortins’ lawyer also said his client was surprised to learn he was under investigation on Friday.
In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office said that as the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces continue to come forward, we know there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure that everyone has a safe workplace.
These questions are dealt with by the authorities and officials of CAF. Where appropriate, the Privy Council Office provides updates to the Privy Council Office on the status of senior management decisions. As this is an active investigation, we are unable to comment further.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Minister of National Defense Harjit Sajjan said the department is committed to creating a culture of inclusion for the Canadian Armed Forces and the Department of National Defense, where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.
We are committing to this lasting change that eliminates toxic and outdated values, practices and policies, the spokesperson wrote. As Minister Sajjan said on Friday, the Acting Chief of Staff informed him that (Maj.General) Fortin has stepped down and that an investigation is ongoing, we will have no another comment for now.
The Canadian Armed Forces have come under increased scrutiny in recent months over allegations of misconduct against several high-ranking commanders, former Defense Chief Gen. Jonathan Vance and his successor, the Admiral Art McDonald, who deny any wrongdoing.
Operation Honor, a program to end sexual harassment in the force, recorded more than 700 cases of sexual assault and harassment within the CAF between April 2016 and March 2021.
With files from Alexandra Mae Jones
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