Former Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard was sentenced to 11 years in prison for sexually assaulting four women, with the judge calling him a “sexual predator.” The 83-year-old showed no empathy for his victims, who were all attacked at his company’s offices. One victim was just 16 years old at the time, which was a factor in the case. Nygard was found guilty of four counts of sexual assault but acquitted of a fifth count and one count of forcible confinement. He faces separate sexual assault and sex trafficking charges in Montreal, Winnipeg, and the United States, but denies all allegations against him.
Nygard arrived at the courthouse in a wheelchair and did not address the court. His total time behind bars will be just under seven years with time served factored in, and he will be eligible for parole in two years. The charges date back to the 1980s to the mid-2000s, with five protected women testifying they were invited under false pretenses to Nygard’s headquarters where they were sexually assaulted. Despite his age and health issues, including Type 2 diabetes and deteriorating vision, his lawyer argued for a six-year sentence, while the Crown sought 15 years. The judge dismissed the argument for a shorter sentence and criticized Nygard for potentially exaggerating his health issues in court.
Nygard’s fashion company, Nygard International, was founded in 1967 in Winnipeg and had corporate facilities in Canada and the U.S., but has since filed for bankruptcy and entered receivership after Nygard stepped down as chairman following raids on his offices by the FBI and police in 2020. He was first arrested in Winnipeg in 2020 under the Extradition Act for charges in New York including sex trafficking and racketeering. In May, Manitoba’s highest court dismissed his application for a judicial review of the extradition order, upholding the order issued by then-justice minister David Lametti. Nygard was once a Canadian success story gone very wrong, with his stores once prominently featuring his photos and his brand known throughout the fashion world.
The women involved in the case testified to meeting Nygard on planes, at airports, or nightclubs before being invited to his headquarters, where sexual activity occurred without their consent. The judge dismissed special treatment arguments for Nygard’s health issues, stating that his age and medical condition do not justify a shorter sentence. Nygard’s lawyer had argued that a long sentence would be devastating for him, but Goldstein called him “a Canadian success story gone very wrong.” Nygard has repeatedly denied the allegations against him despite the guilty verdicts and subsequent sentencing. His fall from grace has seen his once-thriving fashion company deteriorate, leading to bankruptcy and legal troubles across multiple jurisdictions.
