A man accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting five women in Calgary is to have a French-language trial, which is relatively uncommon in the Alberta Court of Justice, but legally required if requested.Bill Graveland/The Canadian Press
A man accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting five women in Calgary has opted for a French-language trial.
It’s relatively uncommon in the Alberta Court of Justice but legally required if requested.
Richard Robert Mantha, who is 59, faces numerous charges that include kidnapping, forcible confinement, sexual assault with a weapon, sexual assault causing bodily harm and administering a noxious substance.
Mantha was denied bail last summer and has been in custody since he was arrested in April, 2023.
His French-language trial, which is set to begin tomorrow, is scheduled for four weeks.
The trial will be held before a bilingual judge in provincial court, which is now called the Alberta Court of Justice.
Statistics provided by the court show it gets a couple dozen requests for French trials each year, only a handful of which typically proceed.
An interpreter has also been appointed to translate the testimony of any witnesses who only speak English into French.