The sexual assault trial of long-serving Toronto councillor Michael Thompson began Monday in Bracebridge, where the prosecution outlined disturbing allegations related to a 2022 Canada Day weekend at a cottage in Muskoka. Thompson, who has served on Toronto’s city council since 2003, faces two counts of sexual assault. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Crown, led by attorney Mareike Newhouse, presented the case to the court, describing a series of unsettling events that took place during a weekend Thompson had organized under the guise of a professional networking event. Instead, the prosecution claims, the gathering quickly devolved into a disturbing environment where Thompson allegedly pressured women to consume alcohol, smoke marijuana, and engage in unwanted sexual acts.
At the heart of the allegations are two women who attended the weekend event and have accused Thompson of sexual assault. The prosecution expects one complainant to testify that the councillor massaged her without her consent and the other to testify that after heavily drinking and passing out, she “awoke to Mr. Thompson standing over her in the middle of the night” and that he “forced himself upon her” despite repeatedly telling him “no,” Newhouse told the court.
The case’s first witness, a 24-year-old graduate student who described Thompson as a mentor at the time, provided a vivid account of the events leading up to the alleged assaults. The witness testified that Thompson invited her to the cottage, leading her to believe a larger, mixed group would be in attendance. However, when she arrived with Thompson only one other woman was present and two others later join later in the weekend. The witness said Thompson continuously encouraged her and others to drink and twice told her “feel free to get naked.”
The prosecution highlighted the imbalance of power between Thompson and the women at the event. “With this power dynamic established, I was sort of going along with things in his preference,” the witness testified, adding that she felt she had little choice but to comply with his suggestions.
During cross-examination, defence lawyer Leora Shemesh questioned the witness’s use of the word “adamant” in describing how Thompson encouraged her and the other women to drink alcohol and whether she truly believed there was a lack of autonomy in the situation. Shemesh pointed out that the witness had declined to comply with some of Thompson’s suggestions, such as refusing to undress when asked.
Following the alleged incidents, the first witness recalled seeing both complainants in a state of distress the next morning. She described one woman as “shocked and angry and very clouded by a mixed sense of guilt and feeling taken advantage of.” The witness ultimately chose to leave the cottage with the two complainants rather than with Thompson, who had originally planned to drive her back to Toronto.
Thompson, who was re-elected as councillor for Scarborough Centre in 2022 despite the charges, has maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings. However, he resigned from leadership roles in the Toronto city government after the charges were laid, stepping down as chair of the Economic and Community Development Committee and as deputy mayor.
The trial, which is expected to last five days, will continue Thursday.
Toronto Councillor Michael Thompson’s Trial Dates Set For October