Restaurant manager charged with sexual assault

Well-known Mississauga restaurateur Rocco Giovannelli is once again facing sexual assault allegations, this time in Port Dalhousie. This is the second time that Giovannelli is facing allegations of this nature.

Wolfgang Guembel, Chair of the Community’s Business Association says Cafula Restaurant, where the alleged assault took place, opened less than 6 months ago. Giovannelli was working there as a manager.

Police say the woman was approached by the manager and assaulted while dining at the restaurant back on September 14th. Giovannelli has been charged with sexual assault.

The 51-year-old previously owned multiple restaurants in Mississauga. He was found guilty last year of sexually assaulting one of his female employees during a staff party in 2015, but after an appeal, he was ordered a new trial.

Due to the brazen nature of the most recent allegation police say they have reason to believe there may be more victims.

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UPDATE:

Court documents show the 2015 charge laid by Peel police was stayed by the Crown in 2018 before Rocco Giovannelli’s retrial.

In January of 2020 Giovannelli was found not guilty of the Port Dalhousie charge. The judge was quoted saying: “You are more than probably guilty”, adding that the Crown had failed to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.