The majority of fraud cases in Ontario have ended with charges being stayed or withdrawn since 2020 because of COVID-19-related backlogs, the growing complexity of frauds, and a lack of resources in the province’s criminal justice system, according to the Ontario Crown Attorneys’ Association.

“When there aren't enough resources, Crowns are put in the unenviable position of having to prioritize,” said Lesley Pasquino, the association’s president.

“It's not something that we want to do; every criminal offence has an impact on someone.”

CBC News reviewed the latest three years of fraud statistics released since its investigative series The Cost of Fraud revealed in 2023 that only a fraction of fraud cases were making it through Ontario’s justice system. New numbers from Statistics Canada

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