Ninth in the 2024 Worlds ice dance event with his teammate and partner Laurence Fournier Beaudry, Nikolaj Sørensen (35 years old) will probably never put on his skates in competition again. On Wednesday, the Canadian of Danish origin (he has represented the country with the maple leaf since 2019) was in fact suspended for six years by the Office of the Commissioner for Integrity in Sport (BCIS) for sexual abuse.
As reported by the Quebec media “La Presse” under the pen of Nicholas Richard, Sørensen was caught up in a story of sexual assault dating from 2012. The events allegedly took place during a party organized in the state of Connecticut , in the United States. The alleged victim, a skater aged 22 at the time, allegedly refused the advances of Sørensen, a year older than her.
“But once in bed,” writes “La Presse,” he would have held one of her arms, pressing on her collarbone, before going for complete penetration, while Sørensen’s other hand covered her mouth to stop him from screaming. The victim also says it was impossible for her to breathe.”
“I thought I was going to run out of air due to the weight of his arm on my collarbone and my chest,” she testified. “I tried to push his hips with my arms to try to remove his penis, but I I was having too much trouble breathing. I feared for my life (…). He raped me.”
Sørensen has always proclaimed his innocence. “I deny the allegations and I will do my best to defend myself and get out of this situation in the best possible way,” he said in March 2024.
On the contrary, the BCIS considered that it had found enough evidence to suspend him indefinitely, at least for six years.
“My client would never have come forward if she did not know that Nikolaj Sørensen was headed for coaching and that there was a risk that he would cause harm to other girls and women,” said Nancy Hogshead, the attorney for the alleged victim. It was a long and difficult process for my client, but she is happy to know that the skating community is safer and that he has been banned.”
Sørensen, who finished 9th at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2022, was entered in the Shanghai Trophy with Laurence Fournier Beaudry and should have entered the stage this Thursday.
Related News :