Former Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for sexually assaulting four women, with the judge calling him a “sexual predator.” Nygard, who denied all allegations against him, was found guilty of four counts of sexual assault but acquitted of another count as well as one count of forcible confinement. The assaults took place in his company’s Toronto offices, with one victim being just 16 years old at the time.
During the trial, five women testified that they were invited to Nygard’s headquarters under false pretenses and assaulted in a bedroom suite. The encounters occurred between the 1980s and mid-2000s. Nygard, now 83, who arrived at court in a wheelchair, did not address the court and will be eligible for parole in two years.
The judge dismissed Nygard’s lawyer’s argument for a shorter sentence due to his age and health issues, noting that Nygard had been receiving special treatment in custody. The judge called Nygard “a Canadian success story gone very wrong.” Nygard founded Nygard International in 1967, which produced women’s clothing under various brand names. Nygard stepped down from his company after being charged with sex trafficking and racketeering in the U.S. and has faced legal trouble in Winnipeg and Montreal as well.
Overall, Nygard’s sentencing highlights the downfall of a once-prominent figure in the fashion industry who now faces significant time in prison for his predatory actions.
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