The Future Electronics founder, 81, suffers from advanced Parkinson’s disease and is bedridden. He faced 24 counts of sexual misconduct against 11 complainants.Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press
A Quebec judge has ruled that Montreal billionaire Robert Miller is too ill to stand trial for sex crimes he is alleged to have committed against young women and girls over more than two decades beginning in the 1990s.
The stay of proceedings granted Tuesday by Quebec Superior Court Justice Lyne Décarie ends the criminal case against the reclusive electronic parts mogul, who faced 24 counts of sexual misconduct against 11 complainants, most of whom were minors at the time of the alleged offences.
Crown prosecutors agreed to a motion from the defence Monday that the charges be stayed because the deteriorating state of Mr. Miller’s health would make it impossible for him to stand trial.
The Future Electronics founder, 81, suffers from advanced Parkinson’s disease and is bedridden, requiring constant medical care. He is unable to speak more than a few words at a time, and medical experts have concluded that his condition will only continue to decline.
He stepped down as CEO of Future Electronics in February, 2023.
Lucas Bastien, a spokesperson for Quebec’s Crown prosecutor’s office, said an analysis by the Crown’s medical expert found that “moving Mr. Miller daily for a trial would not be feasible under the circumstances.”
In her oral decision, Justice Décarie added that the prosecutors agreed that a trial under these conditions would violate Mr. Miller’s constitutional right to defend himself in court.
Dominique Potvin, chief prosecutor for Montreal, said in a news conference after the decision that he saluted the “courage” of the accusers and that this “exceptional” case shouldn’t discourage victims from reporting sex crimes.
The accusers can “hold their heads high,” Mr. Potvin added. “They were believed. Their efforts were not in vain.”
Mr. Miller, who was present for the judge’s ruling via video conference, has always maintained his innocence.
Several other legal proceedings related to his alleged crimes are continuing. Teresita Fuentes, 67 at the time of her arrest last June, is charged with procuring sexual services on Mr. Miller’s behalf.
A 41-year-old woman whose name is protected by a publication ban was also arrested earlier this year in connection with the investigation and charged with luring girls into prostitution.
A class-action lawsuit against Mr. Miller and his alleged accomplices was authorized by a judge in January. The case involves dozens of women who allege they were recruited into a prostitution ring for his gratification when they were between the ages of 11 and 17.
The police investigation that led to the criminal charges stemmed from a 2023 Radio-Canada/CBC investigation into Mr. Miller’s allegedly decades-long practice of recruiting girls for sex in exchange for cash and gifts.
Many of the complainants described feeling trapped by Mr. Miller and struggling with the distress of their sexual exploitation for decades afterward.
With reports from The Canadian Press