Former Canadian Fashion Mogul Peter Nygard Sentenced to 11 Years for Sexual Assault
Peter Nygard, the former Canadian fashion mogul, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for sexually assaulting four women. The sentence was handed down on Monday in a Toronto courtroom by Justice Robert Goldstein, who labelled Nygard a “sexual predator.”
The 83-year-old Nygard, convicted of four counts of sexual assault last November, was found guilty of the charges involving assaults that took place at his company’s offices. One of the aggravated factors noted by the judge was that one of the victims was just 16 years old at the time of the assault. Nygard was acquitted of a fifth charge and one count of forcible confinement.
Nygard, who once led a prominent women’s fashion brand, did not address the court during the sentencing. His prison term will be slightly less than seven years after accounting for time served, with the possibility of parole in two years.
The charges against Nygard span allegations from the 1980s to the mid-2000s. During the trial, five women testified under a publication ban, recounting how they were lured to Nygard’s Toronto headquarters with promises of tours or job interviews, only to be assaulted in a top-floor suite. The women described encounters with Nygard at various locations, including on planes and at nightclubs, leading to non-consensual sexual activity.
Nygard’s defence team had argued for a six-year sentence, citing his age and health issues, including Type 2 diabetes and deteriorating vision. However, the Crown had sought a 15-year term. Justice Goldstein dismissed the defence’s plea for leniency, criticizing Nygard’s attempts to downplay his health issues and emphasizing that his advanced age did not warrant a reduced sentence.
Nygard’s downfall began with a raid on his New York offices in February 2020 by the FBI and local authorities. His company, Nygard International, subsequently filed for bankruptcy. Nygard, who was initially arrested in Winnipeg, faces additional sexual assault and sex trafficking charges in Montreal, Winnipeg, and the United States. His attempt to contest extradition was rejected by Manitoba’s highest court earlier this year.