'Holistic healer' believed to be in Turkiye wanted for alleged sexual assaults in Toronto area
Hamilton resident Laurent Ali Akbari, 67, is wanted on three counts of sexual assault. Investigators said they believe Akbari is currently in Türkiye.
Police are looking for a man believed to be in Türkiye after he allegedly sexually assaulted two victims during holistic healing sessions in the Toronto area.
In a release issued on Wednesday, York Regional Police (YRP) said it had issued an arrest warrant for a suspect after receiving two separate reports of sexual assaults that the complainants alleged took place during treatments in January.
As a result, Hamilton resident Laurent Ali Akbari, 67, is wanted on three counts of sexual assault. Investigators said they believe Akbari is currently in Turkiye.
Investigators also released images of the accused, as they believe there may be more victims.
“York Regional Police would like to encourage anyone who feels they may have been a victim of a sexual assault to come forward and report the incident to police,” the release states. “There is no statute of limitations for sexual offences and offenders can be prosecuted well after the date of the offence.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the York Regional Police at 1- 866-876-5423, ext. 7071 or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS.
Assaults can be reported online: YRP
Police also reminded the public that sexual assaults can be reported online if:
- the complainant is not in present danger;
- the complainant is not with the person who assaulted them;
- there is no physical evidence that may be collected (evidence can be collected for 12 days after a sexual assault); and
- the complainant has access to a private email address
Support is also available through York Region Victim Services (victimservices-york.org) or the Women’s Support Network (womenssupportnetwork.ca).
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING
BREAKING At least nine killed, 300 hurt after second wave of device explosions is reported in Lebanon
Explosions went off in Beirut and multiple parts of Lebanon in an apparent second wave of detonations of electronic devices, Hezbollah officials and state media said Wednesday, reporting walkie-talkies and even solar equipment detonating a day after hundreds of pagers blew up.
BREAKING
BREAKING First Conservative motion attempting to bring down Liberals to simply ask if House has confidence in Trudeau
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has confirmed his party is putting forward a non-confidence motion next week and the wording is very straight forward.
Record-breaking Lotto Max jackpot tickets sold in Ontario, Quebec
Two lucky people in Ontario and Quebec will split Tuesday’s record-breaking $80-million Lotto Max jackpot.
Rogers Communications to buy out Bell's share of MLSE for $4.7 billion
Rogers Communications Inc. is buying out Bell's 37.5 per cent share of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment for $4.7 billion, giving it 75 per cent ownership of the sports conglomerate.
BREAKING
BREAKING Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez to step down, will stay on as MP
Federal Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez is set to announce he’s stepping down from cabinet and as the Quebec lieutenant on Thursday, but he’ll remain an MP, CTV News has confirmed.
'I thought I was dead': Man electrocuted, burned at SaskPower hydro dam calls for compensation
May 9, 2022 was the day Blayne McKay thought he was going to die. He called his wife to say goodbye, after getting electrocuted at the SaskPower Island Falls Hydroelectric Station, about 100 kilometres northwest of Flin, Flon.
8-year-old Ohio girl takes her family's SUV, drives to Target
An 8-year-old girl took an SUV from her Ohio home and drove for miles to a store where she was later found unharmed, authorities said.
Affordability crisis could be reaching its peak in Canada, economist says
With Canada's annual inflation rate reaching the central bank's two per cent target, the country's affordability crisis could be peaking, according to an economist.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, goes back to work days after cancer treatment update
Catherine, Princess of Wales has held her first engagement since revealing that she has completed her chemotherapy treatment.
Shopping Trends
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
Montreal
-
Black Lives Ruined: Black men asked to sign NDAs to settle racial profiling cases
Black men who are the victims of racial profiling and harassment by police forces in Quebec say they are being asked to sign non-disclosure agreements in order to receive their settlement cheques.
-
Federal minister Pablo Rodriguez to run for Quebec Liberal leadership
The federal Liberals' political lieutenant for Quebec, Pablo Rodriguez, will run for the leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ). He is scheduled to make the announcement Thursday in Gatineau.
-
Quebec police investigating suspicious death of boy, 5, near Montreal
Quebec provincial police are investigating the death of a five-year-old boy found in a home about 55 kilometres southwest of Montreal.
Ottawa
-
Ottawa's mayor says 'no formal, written offer' from feds for Wellington Street
Negotiations on the future of Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill appear to have stalled, more than a year after the federal government and the City of Ottawa began talks on the street.
-
You will be able to 'dine-in-the-dark' at this new Ottawa restaurant
Dark Fork has announced plans to open the city's first "dine-in-the-dark restaurant" on George Street, where patrons will eat in a dark dining room where cellphones and other sources of artificial light are forbidden.
-
Firefighters rescue dog from townhouse fire in Kanata North
Ottawa Fire Services says a dog has been brought to safety following a two-storey townhome fire in Kanata North Wednesday morning.
Northern Ontario
-
One person dead following North Bay industrial incident
North Bay Police Service says one person has died following an industrial accident at the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission Rail Yard on Tuesday.
-
'It's ridiculous': Ontario man told to pay $1,000 to end water heater contract
An Ontario man was surprised to learn he would have to pay a $1,000 penalty to cancel his water heater rental. 'I was shocked that the penalty I had to pay was almost the cost of a brand new water heater,' James Alves, of Etobicoke, told CTV News Toronto.
-
GoFundMe cancels fundraiser for Ontario woman charged with spraying neighbour with a water gun
A Simcoe, Ont., woman charged with assault with a weapon after accidentally spraying her neighbour with a water gun says GoFundMe has now pulled the plug on her online fundraiser.
Kitchener
-
Rogers Communications to buy out Bell's share of MLSE for $4.7 billion
Rogers Communications Inc. is buying out Bell's 37.5 per cent share of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment for $4.7 billion, giving it 75 per cent ownership of the sports conglomerate.
-
City of Guelph proposes bylaw to protect renters
City council approved an 'evictions survey' during Tuesday night’s meeting to get a better snapshot of the impacts of evictions occurring within Guelph.
-
Cyclist dies following collision with pickup truck
Wellington County Ontario Provincial Police responded to a serious motor vehicle collision on Wellington Road 18, just west of Salem.
London
-
The City of London is calling and wants to know what you think
If your phone rings with a number you don't recognize, it could be the City of London calling. This year's resident satisfaction survey is taking place until Oct. 6.
-
Rogers Communications to buy out Bell's share of MLSE for $4.7 billion
Rogers Communications Inc. is buying out Bell's 37.5 per cent share of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment for $4.7 billion, giving it 75 per cent ownership of the sports conglomerate.
-
Perth County crash sends motorcycle driver to hospital
A motorcycle driver has serious injuries after a crash in Perth County. It happened around 8 p.m. in the area of Highway 8 between Perth Road 179 and Perth Road 168.
Windsor
-
Pedestrian in ICU after getting struck by vehicle
Windsor police say a pedestrian was taken to hospital with serious injuries after getting hit by a vehicle in south Windsor.
-
Man shot in neck with pellet gun during attempted robbery: WPS
Windsor police have arrested two suspects in connection to an attempted robbery with a weapon on Erie Street.
-
659 trained in Windsor-Essex to give naloxone in 2024
Since the beginning of this year, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) said 659 people have been trained to administer naloxone.
Barrie
-
Animal dies after being set on fire in Orillia parking lot: OPP
Provincial police are investigating arson after they say an animal was killed in Orillia.
-
OPP issues warning after motorist escapes suspicious encounter
Police are warning the public after an incident in Minden Hills on Monday morning.
-
Facebook Marketplace scams on the rise as police issue warning to users
Ontario Provincial Police are warning social media users about recent scams.
Winnipeg
-
Kinew denies claims of toxic, dysfunctioncal government made by ousted MLA
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said an MLA ousted from his caucus this week was given a choice before he was shown the door.
-
How much rain fell in southern Manitoba over the past few days
Southern Manitoba was hit with torrential downpours, overland flooding and thunderstorms at the start of the week, with some communities receiving upwards of 200 millimetres (mm) of rain.
-
Prosthetic leg, live goldfish among items left on Winnipeg buses
There's nothing average about some of the stuff that gets lost on the bus
Atlantic
-
Transport Canada orders plan to remove huge tidal power moorings left near N.S. town
Transport Canada has ordered a bankrupt tidal power company and a bankruptcy trustee to produce a plan to remove four huge moorings abandoned in the water near Walton, N.S.
-
N.S. RCMP seize firearms, crossbow, magic mushrooms from South Shore homes
A Woods Harbour, N.S., man is facing dozens of charges after police seized weapons and drugs from South Shore homes last Friday.
-
Expert says warm September in Maritimes could cause higher aggression in bees and wasps
Experts say the higher Maritime temperatures make wasps and hornets more territorial and aggressive in the late summer.
N.L.
-
Newfoundland and Labrador monitoring rise in whooping cough cases: medical officer
Newfoundland and Labrador's chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
-
Dispute over unrecognized Inuit group halts major conference for Canadian North
A 16-year-old biennial event aimed at fostering business in the country's eastern Arctic and northern regions has been cancelled indefinitely as a dispute unfolds between Inuit in Canada and a Labrador group claiming to share their heritage.
-
Cow cuddling: Why a Newfoundland farm is offering quality time with these 'gentle creatures'
Jim Lester’s farm hopped on the cow-cuddling trend in early August, and his time slots have been pretty well sold out ever since.
Edmonton
-
DEVELOPINGDEVELOPING Fire consumes multi-unit building, several townhomes in Desrochers
Flames tore through a residential development, including both homes that were occupied and under construction, in southwest Edmonton early Wednesday morning.
-
EXCLUSIVE
EXCLUSIVE 'A matter of luck whether or not you make it out alive': Excessive speeders taunt police by posting crimes online
Whether you've been shaken awake by revving engines in the dead of night, or passed on the Anthony Henday like you're standing still, most Edmontonians have some experience with sports cars or motorcycles driving dangerously on city streets.
-
Alberta to boost spending on new K-12 school construction over next three years by $6.5B to $8.6B
Alberta's premier announced a plan Tuesday evening during a televised address her government will boost the amount of money being spent on new school construction over the next three years to $8.6 billion, an increase of $6.5 billion from what was originally promised in the 2024 budget.
Calgary
-
Alberta to boost spending on new K-12 school construction over next three years by $6.5B to $8.6B
Alberta's premier announced a plan Tuesday evening during a televised address her government will boost the amount of money being spent on new school construction over the next three years to $8.6 billion, an increase of $6.5 billion from what was originally promised in the 2024 budget.
-
WEATHER
WEATHER Warm and windy Wednesday with frost possible outside of Calgary overnight
A large low-pressure system in southern Saskatchewan has prompted rainfall warnings in that province with as much as 50 millimetres of rain possible.
-
Facing loss of Alberta funding, halt of planned Calgary Green Line could cost $2.1B
Calgary city council has voted to end work on the first phase of its long-sought $6.2-billion Green Line light rail transit project at a cost of at least $2.1 billion.
Regina
-
Sask. won't take asylum seekers if Ottawa attempts to relocate them
The Government of Saskatchewan has said it will not accept asylum seekers under a recent federal proposal to relocate them across Canada.
-
Saskatchewan high school students will soon need 'Financial Literacy 10' to graduate
A new financial literacy course will soon be a requirement to graduate in Saskatchewan.
-
'I thought I was dead': Man electrocuted, burned at SaskPower hydro dam calls for compensation
May 9, 2022 was the day Blayne McKay thought he was going to die. He called his wife to say goodbye, after getting electrocuted at the SaskPower Island Falls Hydroelectric Station, about 100 kilometres northwest of Flin, Flon.
Saskatoon
-
'I thought I was dead': Man electrocuted, burned at SaskPower hydro dam calls for compensation
May 9, 2022 was the day Blayne McKay thought he was going to die. He called his wife to say goodbye, after getting electrocuted at the SaskPower Island Falls Hydroelectric Station, about 100 kilometres northwest of Flin, Flon.
-
Emily Sanche tried to seek medical help for boyfriend before he fatally stabbed her, court hears
Catherine Sanche says her cousin and best friend Emily Sanche never feared her boyfriend Thomas Hamp would hurt her in the weeks leading up to her death in February 2022.
-
Support staff at Saskatoon public schools call for more safety supports after teen set on fire
Support staff at Saskatoon Public Schools are calling for urgent action and more funding to keep members safe in the wake of a brutal attack at Evan Hardy Collegiate earlier this month.
Vancouver
-
TransLink converts West Coast Express commuter train to renewable diesel
TransLink says it is one step closer to meeting its net-zero emissions targets after converting its West Coast Express commuter trains between Vancouver and the Fraser Valley to renewable diesel fuel.
-
B.C. municipality takes couple to court over under-construction 'eyesore'
A B.C couple has been ordered to stop living in a motorhome on the property where their under-construction home – which they were first given a permit to build more than six years ago – has become an “eyesore,” according to a recent court decision.
-
Man killed in crash between motorcycle, pickup in Langley: RCMP
The RCMP is investigating a fatal collision between a motorcycle and a pickup truck that closed down the Fraser Highway in Langley, B.C., late Tuesday afternoon.
Vancouver Island
-
TransLink converts West Coast Express commuter train to renewable diesel
TransLink says it is one step closer to meeting its net-zero emissions targets after converting its West Coast Express commuter trains between Vancouver and the Fraser Valley to renewable diesel fuel.
-
B.C. municipality takes couple to court over under-construction 'eyesore'
A B.C couple has been ordered to stop living in a motorhome on the property where their under-construction home – which they were first given a permit to build more than six years ago – has become an “eyesore,” according to a recent court decision.
-
'Certainly a wake-up call': B.C. police remind residents to lock their doors after family robbed
Mounties on Vancouver Island are warning people to lock their doors after a Nanaimo-area family was robbed of a high-end vehicle, cash, a computer and other merchandise while they slept.
