Sexual assault victims of ex-ski coach Bertrand Charest sue Alpine Canada

Three sexual assault victims of former ski coach Bertrand Charest are suing Alpine Canada, alleging the sports federation turned a blind eye to signs of wrongdoing.

The three women are former Canadian skiers Genevive Simard, Gail Kelly and Anna Prchal, who were all minors at the time of the offences for which Charest was convicted.

Charest is serving a 12-year sentence after being convicted in June 2017 of 37 charges, including sexual assault and sexual exploitation, for offences dating back to the1990sinvolving nine victims.

The three women are each seeking $300,000 in damages for psychological, physical and sexual abuse they suffered. They are also seeking $150,000 each in punitive damages.

Suit details years of alleged abuse

Their lawsuit, filed Wednesday at the Montreal courthouse, details alleged inappropriatetouching, kissing and sexual intercourse between Charest and the three young skiers duringtrainingand competition trips in Canada and abroad, spanningthe summer of 1996 toFeburary1998. The allegations havenot yet been tested in court.

The statement of claim, which was filed in French and viewedby CBC News, alleges that Charest, as coach, dictatedrooming arrangements for the young athletes in his care during tripsfrequently invitingthem for one-on-one "private video viewing" sessions.

In one alleged instance of misconduct dating back to 1997, after Charestbooked a shared hotel room for himand Simardduring a stopover in Toronto, the young skier, then 16, hid in the bathroom in order to escape her coach's sexual advances.

In another alleged example, on the same day another Alpine Canada coach was alerted of allegations of Charest'smisconduct, Prchal was left alone with Charest, who eventually convinced her to havesex with him.

The suit states Charest exerted a "very strong psychological hold" overSimard, Kelly,Prchaland his other victims, as he controlled every aspect of theirsporting careers.

'Innumerable reprehensible acts'

The lawsuit argues Alpine Canada did not take even the most basic steps to prevent the abuse, alleging the organization ignored evidence ofCharest's"innumerable reprehensible acts" to protect itself without worrying about the safety of its young athletes.

In a statement Wednesday, the sports federationsaid it has been in "ongoing discussions with the victims of Bertrand Charest" and continues to "support and co-operate with them to the fullest of our ability."

"We learned of the lawsuit filed by three victims today and are reviewing the details. Our commitment to supporting and working with the victims remains unchanged," the statement said.

But in a subsequent statement, Simard, Kelly andPrchalsaid Alpine Canada's assertion it was actively speakingwith victims was "false."

"Our attempts to establish discussions were rejected," the three former skierssaid.

"If Alpine Canada today wants to change their attitude and offer us their support and co-operation,we expect a confirmation on their part that they will take part in a mediation in January 2019," they said.

CBC'sAdrienneArsenaultsits down with four ofCharest'svictims, includingGeneviveSimard, Gail Kellyand AnnaPrchal:

Ski coach abuse victims speak publicly for first time

6 years ago

Duration 3:40

CBC's Adrienne Arsenault sat down with four former Canadian athletes

EarlierWednesday, JulieGirard, a lawyer for one of the victims,said on that Alpine Canada had been invited to participate in a confidential mediation to try and resolve the dispute.

"Regrettably, Alpine has rejected mediation, thereby forcing the victims to publicly expose the abuse suffered in a court proceeding," Girard said.

In October,Charest'slawyers filed a document with Quebec's Court of Appeal, arguing that his sentence should be cut to between four and six years.

Read the full statement of claim (in French):