The Director of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Joseph Martino, has reasonable grounds to believe that a Hanover Police Service officer committed criminal offences in Hanover.
A release from the SIU says, on September 16th, 2021, the SIU received a complaint of an alleged sexual assault that had occurred in 2017. The SIU launched an investigation.
As a result of the SIU investigation, Cst. Ryan Cabral is charged with one count of sexual assault, one count of sexual exploitation, and one count of breach of trust by an official contrary to sections 271, 153, and 122 of the Criminal Code, respectively.
He is required to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice at 207 Cayley Street in Walkerton on March 9, 2022.
The SIU says, because the matter is before the courts, and in consideration of the fair trial interests of the accused, it will not provide further comment on the investigation.
The Hanover Police Service says in a release, it notified the SIU on September 16th, 2021 about the allegation of a historical sexual assault involving one of its uniformed members.
The officer was suspended during the course of the SIU investigation and remains suspended with pay in accordance with the Police Services Act of Ontario.
They say, “As this matter is before the courts, investigated by the Special Investigations Unit, it would be inappropriate for the Hanover Police Service to provide further comment at this time.”
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
*This story was updated from an earlier version to add new information