A renowned figure in the Canadian fashion industry, Peter Nygard, has been convicted on four counts of sexual assault.
The 82-year-old former mogul faced trial in the Ontario Superior Court, charged with five counts of sexual assault and one count of forcible confinement, all linked to alleged incidents spanning from the 1980s to the mid-2000s.
Nygard in his private office bedroom suite
While Peter was acquitted on one count of sexual assault and one count of forcible confinement, the jury delivered a guilty verdict on the remaining charges after hearing harrowing testimonies from the five complainants.
Four of these women were in their 20s at the time of the alleged assaults, while one woman claimed she was just 16 when she was allegedly attacked by Nygard.
The women’s testimonies painted a chilling picture of their experiences, alleging that they were attacked, overpowered, and sexually assaulted by Nygard in his private bedroom suite in his downtown Toronto building.
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The prosecution argued that Peter exploited his wealth and influence to entice some of the women, often leading them on a tour of his Toronto office building that would culminate in his private bedroom suite.
In his defense, Nygard took the witness stand for five days, claiming he could not recall four of the five women or any interaction with them.
He denied the allegations of sexual misconduct and assault, insisting that he would never engage in such behavior.
This verdict marks a pivotal turning point in the case against Nygard, who has been dogged by numerous allegations of sexual misconduct over the years.
The case has garnered global attention due to Nygard’s prominence in the fashion industry.