More skiers cleared to share experiences
Judge lifts publication ban on identities of women who alleged abuse by Charest
Four more women who alleged they were either sexually abused or sexually assaulted by former national ski coach Bertrand Charest were given the green light to go public about their experiences after a Quebec Superior Court judge agreed to lift publication bans that were imposed on their identities during his trial last year.
“Over the past years, hearing all of the #MeToo stories have helped me. I believe every voice matters,” Gillian McFetridge wrote in an affidavit presented to Justice Hélène Di Salvo on Tuesday, at a hearing where the judge ultimately decided to lift the standard publication ban put in place to protect victims in criminal cases involving sexual abuse. “I want to give a voice and a face to the public in order to make them aware of the risk that affects all our athletes, young and old.”
Di Salvo also agreed to lift the publication bans placed on the names of Émilie Cousineau, Katie Bertram and Allison Forsyth.
All four of the women were plaintiffs in the criminal case brought against Charest.
They all alleged he either sexually assaulted or abused them during the 1990s while he was their ski coach. Twelve women in all filed complaints and, following a trial held last year, Charest was convicted on 37 counts involving nine of them. He was acquitted on charges related to McFetridge, Bertram and Forsyth. Despite this, all three still refer to themselves as having been victims of his abuse.
“It depends on the women. They all consider themselves as victims. The charges weren’t retained in all of their cases,” Julie Girard, a lawyer who represented all four women, said after Tuesday’s hearing at the Montreal courthouse.
The women were not present in court on Tuesday, but Forsyth and possibly others who were part of Tuesday’s decision plan to give interviews to media in Toronto on Wednesday.
The four are following in the footsteps of Gail Kelly, Amelie Frederique- Gagnon, Anna Prchal and former Olympic skier Geneviève Simard, who requested that similar publication bans be lifted last week so they could speak publicly about what they suffered. The four women spoke at a press conference held in Montreal on Monday after Di Salvo lifted the publication bans on their names on Friday.
“I now feel the need to have the freedom to reveal my identity in order to continue on my path to healing,” Forsyth wrote in her affidavit.
Before she retired from competitive skiing in 2008, Forsyth won five medals in World Cup events.
“I want to be a voice that will make things change. I want to be part of making the practice of sports safer for all. I really want to give a voice and a face to the public in order to make them aware of the risk that affects all our athletes, young and old.”
Charest is serving a 12-year sentence after he was convicted last year on 37 charges involving nine victims he sexually assaulted and abused during the 1990s while he was their coach.
The victims he was convicted of abusing were between the ages of 12 and 19 when it occurred.