Peter Nygard denied bail over sexual assault charges

The Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard has been denied bail and will be detained in Toronto as he awaits trial oncharges of sexual assault and forcible confinement.

This bail decision relates to charges Canadian authorities laid against Nygard, 80, in connection with events that allegedly took place between 1987 and 2006. He also faces charges from the United States. He has denied any wrongdoing.

None of the evidence or arguments presented in court can be published due to a standard publication ban, nor can any of the complainants be identified.

Nygard, the former head of a multimillion-dollar clothing company, was flown to Toronto from Winnipeg in October to face the charges. He was first arrested in Winnipeg in 2020 under the Extradition Act after being charged with nine sex-related counts in New York.

On the same day last October that Nygard agreed to be extradited to the United States to face a charge of sex trafficking, police in Toronto announced their own charges.

The extradition request from the US details accounts from seven alleged victims who say their livelihoods and movements became dependent on having sex with Nygard.

He is also the subject of a class-action lawsuit in the US involving 57 women with similar allegations.

Nygard, who was born in Finland, founded his fashion company in Winnipeg in 1967. It grew from a partial stake in a women’s garment manufacturer to a brand name sold in stores around the world.

He stepped down as chairman of his company after the FBI and police raided his offices in New York in February 2020.

Nygard International has since filed for bankruptcy.