Fashion Mogul Peter Nygard Found Guilty Of Sexual Assault

A Canadian jury has delivered a guilty verdict in the trial of former fashion mogul Peter Nygard, who faced charges of sexual assault spanning from the late 1980s to 2005.

The 82-year-old entrepreneur, once at the helm of a lucrative global apparel empire, was convicted on four counts of sexual assault, while being acquitted on one count of sexual assault and one count of forcible confinement.

Throughout the six-week trial in Toronto, prosecutors argued that Peter Nygard exploited his “status” to assault five women, aged 16 to 28 at the time, in private luxury quarters within his firm’s Toronto headquarters.

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The prosecution painted a vivid picture of the room, describing it as having “a giant bed…and a bar and doors, doors with no handles and automatic locks controlled by Peter Nygard.” Prosecutors alleged that Nygard would assault the women once they were trapped in the room.

Despite Nygard vehemently denying the charges, claiming a lack of recollection of four of the five accusers, the jury reached a guilty verdict on the majority of counts. The former fashion mogul appeared emotionless as the verdict was delivered.

During the trial, Nygard’s defence team, led by lawyer Brian Greenspan, asserted that the case against their client was built on “revisionist history” and characterized the victims as motivated by financial gain, employing the term “gold-digging.” The defence argued that contradictions and innuendo formed the foundation of the state’s case.

Prosecutor Ana Serban countered these claims, urging the jury to consider the consistent testimony of the women. She emphasized that the evidence pointed to “the same space and same behaviour” from Nygard, dismissing the notion of coincidence.

This guilty verdict marks a stunning downfall for Nygard, who was once a prominent figure known for hosting celebrities and politicians at his opulent properties. In February 2020, he stepped down as chairman of Nygard International just before the firm filed for bankruptcy following a raid by US authorities on its New York headquarters. Since his arrest in December of the same year, Nygard has been in jail, facing additional trials in Montreal and Winnipeg.

Despite the guilty verdicts in Canada, Nygard’s legal battles are far from over. He is set to face extradition to the United States, where authorities allege a “decades-long pattern of criminal conduct” involving numerous victims worldwide. The former fashion mogul is currently contesting extradition while awaiting further legal proceedings.