Canadian Former Fashion Tycoon Peter Nygard, 82, Found Guilty of Sexual Assault
Toronto: Peter Nygard, the erstwhile founder of one of Canada’s major clothing brands, was convicted on Sunday of four counts of sexual assault, as announced by a Toronto court. The jury, after five days of deliberation, also cleared Finnish-Canadian Peter Nygard of one count of sexual assault against a woman who testified during the seven-week trial and one count of forcible confinement, as per Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice.
The charges against the 82-year-old former fashion mogul involved four women and a 16-year-old girl, stemming from incidents that occurred between 1988 and 2005. This trial marked the beginning of a series of charges Nygard faces for sexual offenses against multiple women spanning several decades in both Canada and the United States.
Addressing the jury, Justice Robert Goldstein acknowledged the challenges of the lengthy and demanding case, saying, “I know it’s been a long and arduous case for you.”
Upon leaving the courthouse, Nygard’s lawyer, Brian Greenspan, did not rule out the possibility of appealing the verdict.
In his closing arguments, Greenspan contended that the case was constructed on “contradictions and innuendo,” criticizing the prosecution’s portrayal of his client. He argued against characterizing Nygard as an “evil predator” and disputed the depiction of Nygard as a “Jekyll and Hyde personality” who used wealth and power to coerce women. “To describe Peter Nygard as an evil predator, a Jekyll and Hyde personality who, through wealth and power, lured women to his den of iniquity and forced women to comply with his sexual demands… is neither fair nor accurate,” Greenspan stated.
Greenspan also suggested that four of the women were motivated by financial gain or “gold-digging,” as they had admitted to being involved in a U.S. class-action lawsuit against Nygard.
In contrast, Prosecutor Ana Serban argued that Nygard’s testimony was evasive and inconsistent, highlighting the unreliability and selectiveness of his memory. Serban pointed to “remarkably similar accounts” from Nygard’s five accusers, emphasizing the consistency in their descriptions of how they met Nygard, were invited to his office building, and experienced sexual assault in his private bedroom suite. “The similarities defy coincidence,” Serban asserted. “It’s a pattern of behavior.”
Testifying in his defense, Nygard claimed not to recall meeting or knowing four of his accusers and adamantly denied raping any of the five. He asserted, “The type of allegations that were said and were described is the type of conduct that I know that I have never done, I never would do,” while acknowledging that his memory had become “very fuzzy” with age.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 21, and Nygard, who has been in detention since his 2020 arrest, will also face similar charges in Quebec and Manitoba. Additionally, extradition to the United States awaits him, where he is accused of sexually assaulting numerous women and girls, as well as charges of racketeering and trafficking.
