Accused Serial Rapist’s Trial Delayed as the Defence Seeks Seven Separate Hearings

The highly anticipated trial of accused serial rapist Richard Mantha was delayed on what was supposed to be its opening day, as the defense mounted an unexpected challenge. Mantha’s lawyer, Kim Arial, has petitioned the court for seven separate trials, one for each of the alleged victims, citing distinct sets of allegations for each case.
Mantha, aged 59, stands accused of more than two dozen charges, including sexual assault with a weapon, kidnapping, forcible confinement, and administering noxious substances. The charges revolve around allegations of drugging and sexually assaulting women involved in Calgary’s sex trade.
Originally scheduled for a four-week trial starting this Monday, the courtroom’s atmosphere shifted as Arial presented her severance application. She argued that each alleged victim’s case deserves individual attention due to the unique circumstances surrounding their accusations. Justice Judith Shrier, who heard the application earlier this month, is yet to make her ruling on the matter, and the timing remains uncertain.
Despite this delay, both prosecution and defense appear prepared to utilize the trial time efficiently, whether proceeding with one complainant or addressing multiple cases separately.
Originally from Quebec, Mantha has exercised his right to be tried in French, a relatively rare occurrence in Alberta, where only about two percent of residents speak French as their mother tongue, according to provincial government data.
The legal saga surrounding Mantha began when he was initially charged with drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in the summer of 2022. However, he missed a court appearance in March of the following year, leading to a widening investigation by Calgary police into additional offenses involving women associated with or frequenting the Forest Lawn area.
As part of this extensive investigation, both the Calgary Police Service (CPS) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) spent five days conducting a meticulous search of Mantha’s rural property, located east of Chestermere.
This intensive search effort culminated in Mantha’s arrest and the subsequent laying of multiple charges involving new victims who came forward following the announcement of his initial charges. As unsealed search warrant documents have revealed, the allegations against Mantha are both disturbing and wide-ranging.
Many of the alleged victims reported that Mantha had threatened them with a firearm and kept piles of women’s clothing in a Quonset hut and trailer on his property. According to the accounts of these women, they would lose consciousness after Mantha provided them with food or drinks and would subsequently wake up in various locations, including inside his trailer within the Quonset hut or in hotel rooms.
Several victims disclosed that Mantha would don a pig mask and wield a firearm during the assaults. Shockingly, one woman recounted waking up in a hotel room with Mantha videotaping himself while committing the heinous crime.
In recent months, one of Mantha’s alleged victims tragically passed away. However, the Crown remains committed to pursuing the charges related to that particular complainant, ensuring that justice is served for all involved.
The unexpected turn of events in this high-profile case has left both the prosecution and the defense on edge, as they await Justice Shrier’s ruling on the severance application and continue to grapple with the complex and harrowing allegations against Richard Mantha.