The founder of Montreal Pride has been acquitted of sexual assault. Éric Pineault, 53, was charged with the offence in November 2022. Court records show that he was formally acquitted on Aug. 7. “The prosecutor informed the judge that he had no evidence to present, as he was no longer able to meet his burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt,” wrote a spokesperson for the Quebec Crown prosecution office in an email to CTV News on Friday. The spokesperson did not provide further details. Pineault, who was also the chairperson for Fierté Montreal, was suspended indefinitely in August 2020 following the disclosure of alleged misconduct involving him, the organization said in a statement at the time. It added that it had hired an external investigator to look into the accusations. Fierté Montreal just wrapped its 20th edition on Aug. 9, welcoming thousands of visitors for its marquee event, the Pride parade.
