Fortin Public Interest Investigation (MPCC‑2023‑006) – Homepage

Military Police Complaints Commission Issues Final Report Into the Handling of the Major-General (Retired) Dany Fortin Investigation by the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service

Ottawa, December 9, 2025 – The Military Police Complaints Commission (MPCC) has released its Final Report into the handling of a sexual assault investigation by the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service (CFNIS) involving Major-General (MGen) [Retired] Dany Fortin, who was the subject of the investigation. MGen (Retired) Fortin was ultimately acquitted at trial.

The Public Interest Investigation was initiated in April 2023 following a conduct complaint by MGen (Retired) Fortin in January 2023, in which he asserted that the military police investigation was biased and partial. He contended that the charges were laid against him despite insufficient evidence. He also asserted that his prosecution was influenced by undue external pressure to uncritically accept the alleged victim’s allegations at face value, to his detriment.

Scope of the Public Interest Investigation

The MPCC’s Public Interest Investigation aimed to answer the following questions:

• Did the CFNIS Eastern Region (ER) investigators conduct a thorough and rigorous investigation into the sexual assault complaint filed against MGen (Retired) Fortin?
• Did external considerations influence the CFNIS ER investigation?

Findings of the Final Report

In her Final Report, the MPCC’s Chairperson, Me Tammy Tremblay, concludes that:

“Although, the evidence does not support the allegation of improper external influence, the [CFNIS ER] investigation was nonetheless compromised by tunnel vision, exhibited signs of investigative bias, inadequate supervisory oversight, and a failure to uphold core investigative standards. These shortcomings are not mere administrative oversights; they represent significant failures that erode public trust in military policing.”

The report also notes that while serious investigative shortcomings were identified, it cannot be determined that these flaws would have changed the military police’s assessment to refer the file to a prosecutor. In Quebec, police investigate and refer, while prosecutors independently assess the evidence and decide whether charges should be laid. This safeguard helps balance public expectations, as police are often criticized both for forwarding files with limited evidence and for deciding not to, a choice that prevents a case from ever being reviewed.

In this case, it was found that the investigators acted within the justice framework, and the final charging decision rested with the prosecutor, who had access to all the evidence, including its weaknesses.

Recommendations for Reform

The Final Report, which can be read in full on the MPCC’s website, outlines 16 recommendations aimed at strengthening the Canadian Forces Military Police Group’s investigative capacity, practices, policies and procedures, including:

• ensuring investigative interviews are recorded;
• ensuring its investigators are properly trained in several areas, including trauma-informed investigative training and training on unconscious bias, cognitive bias, and tunnel vision;
• improving the supervision and oversight of investigators;
• improving overall documentation practices over the course of an investigation;
• implementing a structured mentorship and leadership development program for investigators, with particular emphasis on complex and sensitive investigations; and
• developing and implementing a formal policy that clearly defines the situations and offences requiring major case management and ensuring that military police members receive continuous training on major case management throughout their careers.

“The recommendations outlined in the Final Report are not just intended to correct the specific lapses of the investigators involved in this case, but rather to address the systematic weaknesses that allowed these failures to occur in the first place,” said Me Tammy Tremblay, Chairperson, Military Police Complaints Commission. “It is imperative that the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal swiftly implement these recommendations to ensure that all future investigations are conducted to the high standards of rigour, impartiality, and professionalism that Canadians expect and that members of the Canadian Forces deserve.”

Canadian Forces Provost Marshal’s Response to the MPCC’s Recommendations

On October 14, 2025, the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal (CFPM) provided their notice of action in response to the MPCC’s interim report issued on July 17, 2025. The notice of action included comments on the MPCC’s findings and recommendations. Of the 16 recommendations, the MPCC Chairperson considers that only 3 were fully accepted by the CFPM, 10 were partially accepted, and 3 were not accepted at all.

As outlined in the Final Report, while many of the CFPM’s comments expressed a general intent to align military police policies and procedures with Canadian best policing practices, they lacked specificity. The responses did not clearly identify which police policies and procedures would be reviewed, nor did they explain how proposed updates would reflect the recommendations. Several responses address recommendations only in part, leaving critical gaps, and failing to provide meaningful or complete answers. A more comprehensive and transparent response to each element of every recommendation would have better demonstrated institutional accountability and willingness to implement meaningful changes.

Related information:

• Final Report

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Date modified:

2025-12-09