News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Reported Sexual Assault by Thunder Bay Police Officer in 2021
Case Number: 23-OSA-509
On December 13, 2023, the Thunder Bay Police Service (TBPS) notified the SIU that they were in possession of information in which it was alleged that a 31-year-old woman was sexually assaulted by a TBPS officer on February 2, 2021. On Director Joseph Martino’s assessment of the evidence, he found no reasonable grounds to believe that the officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the complaint of sexual assault.
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 has 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_reports.php.
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