News Release
No Charges in Sexual Assault Allegation Involving Peel Regional Police Officer
Case Number: 21-OSA-088
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to believe that a Peel Regional Police (PRP) officer committed a criminal offence in connection with a sexual assault allegation in the course of a man’s arrest in September 2020.
On March 16, 2021, the complainant contacted the SIU to report that he had been sexually assaulted by a PRP officer during his arrest on September 21, 2020. The SIU commenced an investigation and identified one officer as a subject official for purposes of the investigation.
Under the Special Investigations Unit Act, 2019, the Director may exercise a discretion to not publish a Director's Report dealing with the reported sexual assault of a person where the person's privacy interests in not having the report published clearly outweighs the public interest in having the report published, subject to prior consultation with the person. Upon consultation with the person in this case, the Director decided to publish the report.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision): https://www.siu.on.ca/en/directors_report_details.php?drid=1446
The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of officials (police officers as well as special constables with the Niagara Parks Commission and peace officers with the Legislative Protective Service) that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault and/or the discharge of a firearm at a person. All investigations are conducted by SIU investigators who are civilians. Under the Special Investigations Unit Act, the Director of the SIU must
- consider whether the official has committed a criminal offence in connection with the incident under investigation
- depending on the evidence, cause a criminal charge to be laid against the official where grounds exist for doing so, or close the file without any charges being laid
- publicly report the results of its investigations
Lisez ce communiqué en français.
Kristy Denette, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES