Pending since January, Nikolaj Sørensen’s sanction fell on Wednesday. The Office of the Sports Integrity Commissioner (BCIS) suspended him for a minimum of six years for sexual abuse.
Updated yesterday at 3:35 p.m.
On January 4, the American daily USA Today had revealed that the Canadian figure skater of Danish origin was the target of sexual assault allegations dating back to 2012.
The events allegedly took place at a party in Connecticut. 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, he allegedly held one arm of her, pressing on her collarbone, before going for full penetration, while Sørensen’s other hand covered her mouth to prevent her 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 chest. I tried to push his hips with my arms to try to remove his penis, but it was too hard to breathe. I feared for my life. […] He raped me,” we can read in the testimony of the alleged victim in the article in question.
Over the past few months, in his rare public appearances, Sørensen has always defended his innocence and integrity. “As I wrote on Instagram, I deny the allegations and I will do my best to defend myself and get out of this situation in the best possible way. When it comes out in the media, the damage is already done. I think that was the intention more than anything else,” he said in March.
End of career?
However, during its investigation, the BCIS found sufficient evidence to suspend him indefinitely, or at least for a minimum period of six years.
For the 35-year-old skater, this probably means the end of his sporting career.
Less than an hour after the sanction was announced, Skate Canada told The Press that the federation “has been informed of Sport’s decision without abuse and is taking the necessary measures to comply with it”.
“The survivor deserves a medal for her professionalism, her direct description of a terrible evening and her ability to follow the process for 14 and a half months,” said Nancy Hogshead, the lawyer for the alleged victim, at the USA Today. During this time, the survivor experienced rumors from the skating community, delays in communications with the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner, and backlash. »
Sexual abusers have no place in sport. Even though most people agree with this principle, it remains difficult to exclude those who commit sexual misconduct.
Nancy Hogshead, lawyer for the alleged victim
“My client would never have come forward if she did not know that Nikolaj Sørensen was headed for coaching and that he would be at risk of causing harm to other girls and women, who would never have knew who they were dealing with. The process was long and difficult for my client, but she is happy to know that the skating community is safer and that he has been banned. »
Sørensen and his teammate and partner, Laurence Fournier Beaudry, withdrew from the Canadian Championships presented the week after the accusations surfaced. “While we do not wish to withdraw, we feel that our participation could be disruptive, and that sportsmanship must continue to be at the heart of the event,” Sørensen wrote on Instagram at the time.
However, they were able to participate in the World Championships, organized in March in Montreal, despite the investigation being held. “We are here because we deserve to be here. We had to take a step back during the Nationals and it was a very difficult decision to make,” Sørensen explained at the Bell Centre.
The duo took ninth place in the ice dancing event.
Related News :