Some wondering why charges against Peter Nygard in Winnipeg took so long
Posted July 12, 2023 5:50 pm.
Last Updated July 12, 2023 7:27 pm.
Ontario, Quebec, and even the United States are the jurisdictions where disgraced fashion designer Peter Nygard is facing charges in. As of Tuesday, Winnipeg has now been added to that list.
As some survivors react, the question remains, why did it take an out-of-province review to lead to charges in his hometown of Winnipeg?
“I’m really thrilled that April Talent is getting her day in court,” said KC Allan, one of several women who brought reports of sexual assault involving Nygard forward to the Winnipeg Police.
“I’m quite often asked if I believe corruption was at the heart of this. I do not really in my heart believe that. I think there was just a lack of prosecuting prosecutorial zeal.”
The 81-year-old Nygard arrested while in custody in a Toronto jail Tuesday, now facing additional charges of sexual assault and unlawful confinement.
The charges stem from an incident back in November of 1993, involving a 20-year-old woman that police say was assaulted at the Nygard Corporate headquarters in Winnipeg.
Charges weren’t initially brought forward by Manitoban officials, but the cases were later referred to Saskatchewan Justice in December of 2022 to look over again.
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“All I can think is that somehow the Manitoba prosecutors lost sight of their core purpose, which is to protect the public safety. Somehow it would seem they would rather have a monster walk free in their community than tackle a tricky, tough case, which is unacceptable,” said Allan.
In a statement to CityNews, Manitoba Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen says, “In December of last year I asked that an independent review regarding potential charges against Peter Nygard be undertaken. This was conducted by Prosecution Services in Saskatchewan who provided their report to Manitoba Justice in May. It was determined that a prosecution of Peter Nygard is viable in respect of the allegations made by one complainant.”
An external review in instances of high-profile cases is not unusual according to Joshua Rogala a Winnipeg Criminal Defence Lawyer.
“They sought out a second opinion to ensure that they didn’t miss anything. And sometimes that can be quite insightful when a lawyer gets an opinion from someone else with fresh eyes,” said Rogala.
For Allan, she hopes this is a turning point when it comes to the prosecution of sexual assault cases in the province.
“I think it’s the beginning of a process. And I do believe it puts, you know, the old boys network and Manitoba jurisprudence on notice that it’s no longer business as usual in Winnipeg.
