A former star figure skating coach has just been convicted of sexually assaulting a teenager he took under his wing 40 years ago.
“I hope this sends a message to all survivors. The passage of time does not erase acts committed in the past or affect the reliability of witness testimony,” commented Me Amélie Rivard of the Crown, shortly after Richard Gauthier was found guilty of gross indecency and sexual assault.
Gauthier, 61, said he was unfazed by the verdict, which could see him jailed even if his crimes had been committed in the 1980s.
It was then that he lashed out at a 14-year-old teenager he was coaching, who greatly admired him given the coach’s elite pedigree.
“Because of the behavior of the defendant [le plaignant] has suffered severe psychological damage,” noted Judge Josée Bélanger, recalling the authority Gauthier had over his victim.
Acts alleged against Gauthier included bathing naked with the victim, taking showers where they washed together, and sleeping naked with the victim in a spoon.
However, after examining all the evidence, the judge acquitted the fallen coach of indecency.
More details to come…
Do you have any information about this story that you would like to share with us?
Do you have a scoop that might be of interest to our readers?