Former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, Phil Fontaine, has been accused of sexual assault in a Manitoba court.
The allegations were made by a woman who cannot be named due to a publication ban. She claims that Fontaine sexually assaulted her in 1974 when she was 16 years old.
The woman testified in court that she was working at a hotel in Winnipeg when Fontaine, who was 30 years old at the time, approached her and offered her a ride home. She accepted the ride, but instead of taking her home, Fontaine allegedly drove her to a secluded area and sexually assaulted her.
The woman also stated that she did not report the incident at the time because she was afraid of the repercussions and did not think anyone would believe her.
Fontaine, now 75 years old, has denied the allegations and his lawyer has argued that the woman’s testimony is unreliable due to the amount of time that has passed since the alleged incident.
The trial is ongoing and Fontaine has not yet testified. The court has also heard from other witnesses, including a former colleague of Fontaine’s who testified that he had never seen any inappropriate behavior from him.
This is not the first time that Fontaine has faced allegations of sexual misconduct. In 2018, he was accused of sexual harassment by several women, but the case was settled out of court.
Fontaine is a well-known figure in the Indigenous community, having served as National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations from 1997 to 2000 and again from 2003 to 2009. He was also a key figure in the negotiations for the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement.
The trial is expected to continue for several more days, with both the prosecution and defense presenting their arguments and evidence. The judge will then make a decision based on the evidence presented.
It is important to note that these are only allegations at this point and Fontaine is innocent until proven guilty. The court will ultimately determine the truth of the matter.
