Toronto man facing hate crime charge after allegedly distributing antisemitic flyers

The Toronto Police Services emblem is photographed during a press conference at TPS headquarters, in Toronto on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press)

A 62-year-old Toronto man as been charged after allegedly disseminating flyers promoting hatred against members of the Jewish community earlier this year.

Toronto police said on Jan. 2 they received a call for a hate crime in the city’s west end, near Bloor Street West and Lansdowne Avenue.

The Hate Crime Unit subsequently launched an investigation and sought consent from the Ministry of the Attorney General to lay the charge of wilful promotion of hatred against a suspect.

Wilful promotion of hatred as well as advocating genocide are considered to be hate propaganda or a hate speech offence and require the consent of the province’s chief legal adviser to be laid. In many cases, charges are laid at a later time.

On Tuesday, Oliver Couto, 62, of Toronto, was charged with wilful promotion of hatred. He is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 3.

This investigation is ongoing and anyone with further information is asked to contact Toronto police at 416-808-3500 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.