Winnipeg City Councillor Charged With Sexual Assault

Winnipeg city councillor Russ Wyatt speaks at a press conference in Winnipeg on March 1, 2023. The Canadian Press/John Woods

Winnipeg city councillor Russ Wyatt has been arrested and charged with drugging and sexually assaulting a man in late 2025.

Police began an investigation in February after receiving a complaint about the sexual assault of an adult male, according to a March 25 press release.

The survivor reported that he met another adult man on a social website whom he later met in person on more than one occasion, and that the assault occurred during one of those occasions, the press release said. The survivor alleged that he was provided an illicit substance and sexually assaulted while meeting the man at a residence on the city’s east side in December 2025. He said he sought medical attention after leaving.

The Winnipeg Police Service said its Sex Crimes Unit identified the 56-year-old city councillor as a suspect and arrested and charged him on March 24.

Wyatt, who represents the ward of Transcona, faces charges of sexual assault and administering a “noxious thing with intent to aggrieve or annoy.”

None of the charges have been tested in court.

Police said the councillor was released on an undertaking, which refers to a promise to comply with certain conditions while awaiting trial.

A city hall sign is seen outside Winnipeg City Hall. Primestock Photography/Shutterstock

Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham on March 25 urged Wyatt to step away from his job while he is dealing with the matter.

Wyatt declined to do so, saying in a message to CTV News the same day that he wouldn’t comment on the issue and intended to attend the monthly council meeting the next day.

Wyatt’s lawyer, Evan Roitenberg, told the news outlet that “we’re not going to try this case in the media, but Mr. Wyatt is innocent, and we look forward to having a trial on this matter.”

A number of city councillors expressed concerns the next day when Wyatt attended the monthly council meeting, CTV reported.

Wyatt had previously been arrested and charged, in July 2018, on a charge of sexual assault on a woman, but the charge was later stayed, or put on hold, in court.

While the reason for that charge being stayed isn’t known, this can happen if the case is unlikely to result in a conviction or when the Crown determines that it’s not in the public interest to pursue the case. A charge that’s stayed can be reactivated within a specific time frame.

Wyatt was elected city councillor in 2002 and re-elected in 2006, 2010, and 2014. He took a leave of absence in 2018 and was re-elected to again represent Transcona in 2022. The next municipal election in Winnipeg is scheduled to be held in October 2026.