Keeping Track of Criminal Cases & SafeSport Suspensions in Skating

[Frau Muller]

According to USA Today, Nikolai Sorensen is being investigated for sexual assault of a US skater

Olympic skater being investigated for alleged sexual assault of former American skater

A former figure skater from America has accused Canadian ice dancer Nikolaj Sørensen of sexually assaulting her in 2012.

www.usatoday.com

Oh wow…the Canadien.

 

[Habs]

Wow. I didn't see this one coming.

Is it possible that the speculation last year about a Canadian male skater - who we all assumed was someone else - could have been about Nikolaj?

 

[Karen-W]

Wow. I didn't see this one coming.

Is it possible that the speculation last year about a Canadian male skater - who we all assumed was someone else - could have been about Nikolaj?

Probably not. That skater was reported to have retired after WTT last spring - and FBSoer weren't even at WTT.

 

[overedge]

I believe it's this one.

Thanks everyone - on the ISU site, no less. Sigh.

 

[Rukia]

Wow. I didn't see this one coming.

Is it possible that the speculation last year about a Canadian male skater - who we all assumed was someone else - could have been about Nikolaj?

The specifics of that accusation makes this unlikely unfortunately

 

[overedge]

But are the OSIC files really available to anyone in the public? I do not think so.

It is not uncommon for resourceful journalists to get their hands on files that are not openly available to the public.

One of the people quoted in the story is the attorney representing the woman. Connect the dots.

 

[Former Lurve Goddess]

Skate Canada statement (non statement?) on X/Twitter

 

[overedge]

Interesting that the SC non-statement specifies that they follow "orders" from the OSIC. So in other words, if the OSIC doesn't order them to suspend Sorensen or take some other protective action right now, they're not going to do it. Safe sport, yarite.

 

[Wyliefan]

Skate Canada statement (non statement?) on X/Twitter

Did A.I. write that?

 

[rfisher]

Did A.I. write that?

I would suspect a lawyer wrote it. The problem with this case is the victim was over the age of consent and any physical evidence is long since disappeared. There is no police report. It basically comes down to she said/he said that was or was not consensual sex. She can't prove it was not. He can't prove it was. Unless there is more compelling evidence from additional parties, I suspect nothing will happen. Like it or not, he is entitled to defend himself and the court of public opinion should not hold sway in any investigation.

 

[overedge]

He allegedly assaulted her. The age of consent is not relevant.

 

[Coco]

The age of consent is relevant to the extent that it automatically means there must be some kind of proof of force or violation of consent.

If the person making the allegation was too young to legally consent, then the fact of intercourse of any kind (consensual, non-consensual) is all that would need to be proven.

 

[Vagabond]

I would suspect a lawyer wrote it. The problem with this case is the victim was over the age of consent and any physical evidence is long since disappeared. There is no police report. It basically comes down to she said/he said that was or was not consensual sex. She can't prove it was not. He can't prove it was. Unless there is more compelling evidence from additional parties, I suspect nothing will happen. Like it or not, he is entitled to defend himself and the court of public opinion should not hold sway in any investigation.

Even when the victim is an adult, her (or his) testimony is evidence and can, by itself, be sufficient to support disciplinary action.

To suggest that a victim cannot prove wrongdoing by testimony alone is to do all victims a grave injustice, especially those who have not yet spoken up.

 

[PRlady]

Did A.I. write that?

A.I. stands for intelligence, of which that statement displays none.

 

[rfisher]

Even when the victim is an adult, her (or his) testimony is evidence and can, by itself, be sufficient to support disciplinary action.

To suggest that a victim cannot prove wrongdoing by testimony alone is to do all victims a grave injustice, especially those who have not yet spoken up.

You're a lawyer and know very well there has to be due process for both the accuser and defendant for there to be justice for all. If this has been under investigation since July, perhaps it would be prudent to wait to see what the outcome of said investigation is before making assumptions. JMO.

 

[danafan]

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/winter/figure-skating/nikolaj-soerensen-accused-sexual-assault-1.7074661

 

[skatingguy]

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/winter/figure-skating/nikolaj-soerensen-accused-sexual-assault-1.7074661

The story is now in wide circulation in Canadian media. This will be the topic of discussion for the Canadian Nationals next week.

 

[kates8]

The story is now in wide circulation in Canadian media. This will be the topic of discussion for the Canadian Nationals next week.

Huge distraction for all other skaters. We all know the media will ask anyone they have access to about it

 

[Vagabond]

You're a lawyer and know very well there has to be due process for both the accuser and defendant for there to be justice for all. If this has been under investigation since July, perhaps it would be prudent to wait to see what the outcome of said investigation is before making assumptions. JMO.

We don't have to wait for a hearing to say that the finder of fact when considering nothing but testimony from both sides can choose to believe the complainant and act accordingly.

 

[nylynnr]

Huge distraction for all other skaters. We all know the media will ask anyone they have access to about it

"I have no comment." Answer to any follow-up: "I am focusing on myself only."

Same goes for the I.AM coaches.

Skate Canada officials will be the ones on the hot seat, so to speak.

 

[skatingguy]

Huge distraction for all other skaters. We all know the media will ask anyone they have access to about it

As they should, but every fan, official, coach, and skater will be talking about it too. He's a reigning national champion, and his image will be on promotional material all over the venue, and since we're talking about ice dance they'll be on the podium, and at the gala, and banquet. Sorensen's participation in the event is almost untenable at this point, and we still have a week to go.

 

[skategal]

As they should, but every fan, official, coach, and skater will be talking about it too. He's a reigning national champion, and his image will be on promotional material all over the venue, and since we're talking about ice dance they'll be on the podium, and at the gala, and banquet. Sorensen's participation in the event is almost untenable at this point, and we still have a week to go.

Not to mention that they are National Champions who very much could have finished 3rd this year even before this story broke.

They didn’t have a whole lot to gain from attending in the first place.

 

[Coco]

We don't have to wait for a hearing to say that the finder of fact when considering nothing but testimony from both sides can choose to believe the complainant and act accordingly.

This is true, it can go either way.

 

[matvey]

Surely they will retire immediately now.

 

[Lanie]

Skate Canada's statement is beyond breathtakingly obtuse. Wow. So they will, essentially, do nothing, it seems?

 

[Lara111]

It is a very strange timing. I am not sure how anyone can proof the case of rape or abuse which is 11 years old. Is IT just he said she said? Neurosciences say we can not remember factually anything that is this old. This is very unfortunate.

 

[overedge]

The story is now in wide circulation in Canadian media. This will be the topic of discussion for the Canadian Nationals next week.

Brennan's story was retweeted by Rick Westhead, the CTV reporter who has done a lot of investigative stories on the corruption and inaction re abuse inside Hockey Canada and Soccer Canada.

Ironically, just a few weeks ago he was citing Skate Canada as an organization with good transparency, because it publishes the names of coaches and skaters that have been suspended or banned....

 

[tony]

The report was filed July 22, 2023 according to the article (the same day as the Sorensen quotes), which I would think means Skate Canada had to have an idea or full knowledge of it prior to today.

This is going to piss off a lot of people, but there still has to be some kind of due process before things are just assumed as true and before career-altering bans or sanctions are handed down by Skate Canada IMO. And before someone tries to lecture me about how it's awful to not believe the accuser 100% from the start, I'll remind many of you of how eager you were to look the complete other way or comment absolutely nothing when Biden was trying to become President (surely in big part because of the Trump factor), regardless of how believable or not the complainant may have been. There have to be equal procedurals in place every time, not when it's beneficial to you. And hopefully the truth can be backed by concrete evidence or admission, although I realize it to be very unlikely considering the timeline.

The 'other' situation (referenced today in this thread) that came to light right after(?) the Olympics involving a Canadian skater was sure shoved under the rug and forgotten quickly, from what I saw.

 

[skatingguy]

Skate Canada's statement is beyond breathtakingly obtuse. Wow. So they will, essentially, do nothing, it seems?

In this situation there is nothing they can do until the investigation is finished, and a report presented. They have no role at this point in the process, and anything they say or do other than the statement they issued will be perceived as interference.

 

[Private Citizen]

Neurosciences say we can not remember factually anything that is this old.

While I have no doubt that a case this old will be difficult to prove and ultimately boil down to "he said-she said," I do not believe that neuroscientists have concluded that someone cannot factually remember something from 11 years ago.