Top stories of the week: Jeffrey Sloka acquitted, Spitfire replica removed, and Kitchener girl receives letter from Buckingham Palace

Jeffery Sloka was acquitted on 48 accusations of sexually assaulted female patients at the Waterloo Region Courthouse in Kitchener, Ont. on April 24, 2026. (Dan Lauckner/CTV News)

Jeffrey ‘Scott’ Sloka not guilty on all 48 sexual assault charges

A former Kitchener neurologist was acquitted on nearly 50 counts of sexual assault involving his female patients.

On Friday, Justice Craig Parry ruled that he was satisfied there was a valid medical reason for examinations Jeffrey ‘Scott’ Sloka performed at his clinic.

The verdict came nine years after the first complaints were made about the doctor to the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons, and following a four-and-a-half-year criminal trial.

The Crown made the case that Sloka used medical examination as a ruse to gain access to the bodies of female patients for sexual purposes. The defense said Sloka had a valid medical justification for his investigations, examinations and treatments.

The complainants in the case were all female patients who were seen at Sloka’s clinic between 2010 and 2017.

The decision sent shock waves through the Kitchener court room, with support workers describing an “en masse” exit by several women following the verdict.

Overcome with emotion, Sloka’s accusers gathered outside the courthouse to console each other. CTV News is not identifying any of the complainants due to a publication ban.

“There’s no words to [explain] what happened today, and it is devastating on every level,” said one complainant. “It doesn’t matter what a judge says or what people think [they] know. We are behind one another 110 per cent.”

While the former neurologist didn’t comment on the verdict, his lawyer David Humphrey spoke on his behalf.

“He wants me to, on his behalf, let everyone know that all he ever wanted out of this was a fair trial,” Humphrey said. “He got a fair trial, and the community got a fair trial. People should know that.”

Victims of sexual assault can reach out to the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region’s 24-hour support line at 519-741-8633.

Kitchener, Ont., girl receives response letter from Buckingham Palace on behalf of King Charles

A five-year-old girl received the surprise of a lifetime after sending a drawing for King Charles III to Buckingham Palace.

Grace Connell loves to draw and recently became interested in the Royal Family.

In February, the young artist set her sights on stenciling the Royals and sent them the drawing in the mail.

Her mother, Susan, said despite Grace’s excitement and eagerness to check the mailbox daily, she didn’t expect to hear back. In an effort to avoid dampening Grace’s spirits, Susan drafted a faux letter and was prepared to send it, but before she could, Grace received something unexpected in the mail on Easter Sunday.

“We went to the mailbox with my nephew, and sure enough, there was a letter from the King, their correspondence, Buckingham Palace, addressed to Grace,” Susan told CTV News.

The personalized response came from James Dawson, the head of royal correspondence for the Royal Family.

Susan said the letter was “unbelievably touching,” and that Grace hopes to one day visit Buckingham Palace in person.

Kitchener woman who killed her baby granted absolute discharge

A woman who was found not criminally responsible for the murder of her baby has been granted an absolute discharge.

During her trial in 2021, the woman was found not criminally responsible for killing her eight-month-old son due to a mental disorder.

A hospital report said she stabbed her baby multiple times at their Kitchener apartment while experiencing a major psychotic incident in August 2020. The woman also had a history of mental health struggles that resulted in hospitalizations for psychosis.

“At the time of her arrest, she was highly psychotic, experiencing command auditory hallucinations commanding her to sacrifice her child,” the report said.

The woman had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type and had cannabis use disorder. The report stated her psychotic episodes occurred while she was using drugs or not taking medication properly.

After she was found not criminally responsible, the woman was held at a forensic hospital and later moved in with her mother.

An Ontario Review Board panel determined the woman is no longer a significant threat to the public and has robust supports in place.

Six months later, questions remain in Eli Wood’s disappearance

As the community marks six months since the disappearance of 25-year-old university student Eli Wood, questions regarding the case continue to linger.

Wood was last seen on Oct. 18. In the early hours of Oct. 19, a fire tore through his home on Major Street in Kitchener.

While Waterloo Regional Police have not confirmed the cause of the fire, they say arson and foul play are believed to be involved.

Last month, a concerned group of citizens searched near the Woodside National Historic Site, close to where Wood had been living.

As friends and family continue to search for answers, those who knew Wood described him as “one of the kindest, most caring people.”

Police are urging anyone with information related to Wood’s disappearance to contact investigators or Crime Stoppers. Wood’s family is offering a reward for any information that could help locate the 25-year-old.

Spitfire replica removed from KW Surplus rooftop, donated to aviation association in Tillsonburg

The iconic Spitfire replica that sat atop the KW Surplus Store for nearly three decades has been removed.

The full-size model of a Second World War fighter airplane had been perched on the roof of the Victoria Street store in Kitchener since 1997. With the store’s owner retiring and selling the business, he decided to donate the model to the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association in Tillsonburg.

“It’s emotional,” Whittemore said. “I’m older, so I’m ready to retire.”

Removing the plane from its perch came at no cost to the store or the association. As it was lowered to the ground, people stopped by to take photos with the model and say goodbye.

“I actually feel quite sentimental,” Lance Russwurm, an artist and illustrator, said. “I actually painted the [Spitfire] twice over the years while it was on the roof.”

The association said it plans to incorporate the plane into a newly designed memorial garden on airport grounds. Following its arrival, the replica will be inspected, repaired and repainted to reflect the colours flown by Second World War RCAF Flight Lieutenant Charley Fox, a decorated Spitfire pilot from Guelph.