After guilty verdict in Nygard trial, Winnipeg women thank survivors who came forward

Two Winnipeg women who say Peter Nygard sexually assaulted themshare a feeling of reliefafter a Toronto jury found him guilty of four counts of sexual assault on Sunday.

"There are women across the world that are probably breathing a sigh of relief that the word 'guilty' is finally there," said Serena Hickes after the verdict was announced.

"We know our truth. We know what happened to us. We know the guilt, but it's to hear it in the justice system."

Hickessaysthe former fashion mogul raped her at one of his retail outlets in Winnipeg, where she worked.

She was too scared to go to police at the time, Hickes has said, but told Winnipeg police about what had happened nearly 30 years later, in 2020. Hickes saysshe's lived with post-traumatic stress disorder ever sinceand wanted to thank the women who came forward and went through the judicial process with their trauma.

"Guilty was read out andfor so many people, they need to hear that," she said. "But for so many women who are still silent because they still haven't told their families, that is their quiet peace and that's a beautiful thing."

Nygard, 82, had pleaded not guilty in Ontario's Superior Court of Justice to five counts of sexual assault and one count of forcible confinement, after he was accused of attacking five women in his private bedroom suite of his Toronto downtown office building.

During the six-week trial, court heard graphic and disturbing testimony from all five of the women.

He originally faced eight charges of sexual assault and three charges of forcible confinement in the Toronto case, but five of those charges were dropped as jury selection was set to begin.

Hickes said she thought it would be only a matter of time before Nygard was found guilty. Now that the day has finally come, she's grateful she and other women can find some comfort.

She said she had been calling other survivors after the verdict on Sunday to congratulate them.

"For me, that means everything," said Hickes.

"Just to be able to share that love has just overjoyed me this morning."

Verdict 'was never going to happen' in Winnipeg: Hickes

Nygard founded his clothing company, Nygard International, in Winnipeg in 1967. He stepped down as chairman in 2020 before it filed for bankruptcy.

Hickes said she's grateful Toronto took on his case, since she said a guilty verdict "was never going to happen here in Winnipeg."

"This is where he found the people to help him hide his lies, hide his crimes," said Hickes.

"There's a lot of people in Winnipeg that are still hiding the fact they helped him or knew about it and never said anything."

She said she wants those people held accountable.

"Let's talk about who the people are that helped him. That's what I'd like to see happen now."

'I'd like to thank every one of those women:' Allan

KC Allan, a former model who grew up in Winnipeg, says that Nygard raped her in 1979 when she was 17 years old. She went public with the allegation in 2020 and gave a statement to Winnipeg police.

CBC News reached Allan in Mexico, where she said she's been receiving lots of messages all day.

Allan said it's important for the one woman whose story didn't result in a guilty verdict, that she holds her head up.

"All of her sister survivors know that she spoke her truth [which] is incredibly brave and that we have her back," she said. "And personally, I'd like to thank her, I'd like to thank every one of those women for being willing to go through with this."

WATCH|KC Allan speaks out:

KC Allan speaks out

4 years ago

Duration 0:36

KC Allan says Nygard raped her in 1979 when she was 17.

She also wanted to give a "big shoutout" to Shannon Moroney, a therapist who has worked with many of the survivors. Allan said it was hard for her to follow the trial, but she did so through daily updates from Moroney.

"She's amazing, she's just been absolutely amazing every night she texts me and she's in that courthouse every day," she said. "I think we all want this to be over."

Nygard originally facedeight charges of sexual assault and three charges of forcible confinement in the Toronto case, but five of those charges were dropped as jury selection was set to begin.

During the six-week trial, court heard graphic and disturbing testimony from all five complainants:four who said they were in their 20s when they claim they were assaulted, and one who said she was 16 when she alleges she was attacked by Nygard.

Speaking outside the Toronto courthouse Sunday, Moroney called it a "battle won in a much bigger war."

She said the message from the survivors with a guilty verdict in their names "share it not only with the one who didn't get the guilty verdict in this case, but with every other survivor, every other girl and woman who Peter Nygard has stolen their lives from, their years from."

"As one said to me, he got to live his whole life exactly as he wanted until he was 80 years old," she said. "He's now going to prison, but they are still doing the work to get out of the prison of pain, shame, indignity, fear, lack of trust, all those things they've suffered with for so many years."

Other charges

A U.S. class-action lawsuit involving 57 women was also launched against Nygard, but itis currently on hold after a New York judge placed a stay of proceedings on it.Theallegations in the suit date back as faras 1977, withsome womenallegingthey were assaulted when they were as young as 14 or 15.

Nygard also faces one count of sexual assault and one count of forcible confinement in Manitoba, for offences that were allegedly committed in November 1993 and involve a victim who was then 20 years old.

He also faces one count of sexual assault and one count of forcible confinement in connection with incidents that allegedly took place in Quebec between Nov. 1, 1997, and Nov. 15, 1998, and involve one alleged victim.

Meanwhile, Nygardis also fighting extradition to the U.S., where he faces charges in New York for nine offences whichinclude conspiracy to commit racketeering, transportation of a minor for purpose of prostitution, and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion.

Winnipeg women thank survivors who came forward in Nygard trial

10 months ago

Duration 2:13

Two Winnipeg women who say Peter Nygard sexually assaulted them share a feeling of relief after a Toronto jury found him guilty of four counts of sexual assault on Sunday.