Keeping Track of Criminal Cases & SafeSport Suspensions in Skating

[Cant Skate]

There's also an update on the Matthew Power sexual assault case.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/power-final-submissions-1.7338800

 

[Habs]

This feels like (relatively) swift justice. I was surprised the FB&S were continuing this year and am pleased that he is facing consequences. I feel for the victim and hope she is surrounded by love and support.

However, I think there is room here to have some empathy for what Laurence is likely going through right now. How does one reconcile their perception of the person they love with what he has allegedly done? And this is the death blow to her career too.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

They are in the rhythm dance tomorrow and their start order is fourth. I wonder if they have to withdraw? They flew all the way there and now they are out.

 

[Karen-W]

They are in the rhythm dance tomorrow and their start order is fourth. I wonder if they have to withdraw? They flew all the way there and now they are out.

We will find out soon enough, lol.

 

[danafan]

Fournier-Beaudry and Sorenson have been removed from the Skate Canada international assignments page for all of their events.

Events

Explore Skate Canada events! Find upcoming figure skating competitions, schedules, and ticket info for events across Canada.

skatecanada.ca

 

[MacMadame]

I am impressed how many people are happy to transfer the role of criminal justice system to sports ethics committee.

Not wanting sexual preditors to participate in your sport is not unreasonable.

Fournier-Beaudry and Sorenson have been removed from the Skate Canada intearnational assignments page for all of their events.

Events

Explore Skate Canada events! Find upcoming figure skating competitions, schedules, and ticket info for events across Canada.

skatecanada.ca

Good.

 

[Barbara Manatee]

I am impressed how many people are happy to transfer the role of criminal justice system to sports ethics committee.

No, I am unhappy that he will not face a criminal trial for what he's done in the past. But I am happy skaters will be protected from him in the future.

 

[Karen-W]

They are in the rhythm dance tomorrow and their start order is fourth. I wonder if they have to withdraw? They flew all the way there and now they are out.

We will find out soon enough, lol.

Fournier-Beaudry and Sorenson have been removed from the Skate Canada intearnational assignments page for all of their events.

Events

Explore Skate Canada events! Find upcoming figure skating competitions, schedules, and ticket info for events across Canada.

skatecanada.ca

It's 4am in Shanghai right now. While I'm sure Nik & Lolo's phones are probably blowing up and they're unlikely to be sleeping, I'm guessing we won't see their WD on the event results page for a few hours.

 

[Colonel Green]

This feels like (relatively) swift justice.

As far as administrative proceedings at this level go, the whole thing appears to have taken about a year, which is indeed pretty fast given the interests engaged, etc.

 

[BlueRidge]

I am impressed how many people are happy to transfer the role of criminal justice system to sports ethics committee.

I just want to note that many professions have ethics boards that have the ability to review people who participate in the field and remove their ability to continue to participate, entirely separately from any law enforcement or public judicial systems.

 

[kwanfan1818]

I don't think they're going to be the ones getting their names removed from the entries page, and, presumably, Skate Canada is on it.

 

[Hedwig]

I am impressed how many people are happy to transfer the role of criminal justice system to sports ethics committee.

What kind of bullshitty self righteous comment is this?
Welcome to the real world where most rapist go free or are never even accused.
Welcome to the real world where Sorensen STILL SKATED at Worlds and Skate Canada did NOTHING

I knew that there was no legal way any more to convict him and if there had been, the chances of him actually being convicted are sadly very low. This is the mind blowing reality we all live in and it makes me so spitting angry

So yes. I AM happy that he has at least to face some consequences since before it looked like nothing would happen- case in point: the absolute AUDACITY to continue to compete

 

[skatfan]

I am glad for the victim(s) that this was decided so quickly. I wonder if Skate Canada's removal of them from assignments means anything regarding an appeal or not?

 

[Sylvia]

I've created a separate GSD news thread with an article link:

OSIC ruling: Soerensen suspended minimum 6 years for 'sexual maltreatment'

Canadian Press article (Oct. 2, 2024): https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/winter/figure-skating/nikolaj-soerensen-suspension-sexual-maltreatment-figure-skating-1.7340440 Excerpt from the beginning: Canadian figure skater Nikolaj Soerensen has been suspended for at least six years for "sexual...

www.fsuniverse.net

At the end of the Canadian Press article on Soerensen: https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/...-sexual-maltreatment-figure-skating-1.7340440

Tyler Myles is the only other from Skate Canada to have been suspended, with the coach currently ruled to have permanent ineligibility for "Boundary Transgressions, Interference with or Manipulation of Process, Physical Maltreatment, Sexual Maltreatment."
However, the decision is "under challenge based on applicability of the UCCMS [Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport]."

 

[leilaofpaper]

good - it’s the very least that Sorensen deserves.

 

[Sylvia]

Cross-posting here from the Soerensen thread:

JudgeThree posted this on Twitter:

Nik Sorensen becomes the fourth person with ties to the small central Connecticut skating community to be banned for sexual misconduct following Bob Young, Tom Incantalupo, & Andrew Lavrik (overturned). At least two others were the subjects of multi-year SafeSport investigations.

https://x.com/JudgeThree/status/1841552784992161860

Lavrik is no longer listed here: https://www.usfigureskating.org/grievances

Follow-up reply to the first tweet above:

Additionally, Nikolai Morozov trained and coached in this area for many years across the Simsbury-Cromwell-Newington triangle. (Annabelle was born in Hartford.)
Morozov can’t be investigated or sanctioned by the Center for SafeSport because he isn’t a USFS member.

 

[VGThuy]

I am impressed how many people are happy to transfer the role of criminal justice system to sports ethics committee.

Even though many posters have already said it, it’s worth repeating: people can’t be happy with the transfer of the role of the criminal justice system to a sports ethics committee because there has been no transfer of role here. He has his liberty and isn’t convicted of any crime in any criminal justice system. However, he, like many professionals, are subject to their profession’s ethics board, who have the right to investigate and issue suspensions or even ban members. Ask any doctor, lawyer, etc. Hell, ask any member of any community organization, club, etc.

 

[Willin]

I wonder how quickly he will appeal. Is there a stay/stay-equivalent while he appeals, ie, whether or not he can compete in Shanghai, for example.

I assume IAM will do nothing until appeals are exhausted.

They've already defended him quite a bit.

It should be noted that he's only banned from Skate Canada, so if he still wants to compete he could train with IAM and compete for somewhere else (like Denmark). They'd have to wait until next season to compete again, but it could happen in theory. The question on that would be if she could get citizenship in time for the Olympics and qualification to it. SC's timing is impeccable if the goal was to spite him - they'd really have to scramble now to make the Olympics and all the time/money put into this season's programs and costumes are wasted.

Realistically, though, I think they're done. The timeline is far too short.

It's 4am in Shanghai right now. While I'm sure Nik & Lolo's phones are probably blowing up and they're unlikely to be sleeping, I'm guessing we won't see their WD on the event results page for a few hours.

Kinda sucks they're stuck in Shanghai. Wonder how the other skaters (and their coaches) are reacting. Like I said, I kinda wonder if SC timed this for maximum punishment effect...

That's not to say I feel bad for Nik - because I don't. I'm just impressed/intrigued by the timing of the announcement. It's probably just that they felt obligated to get a predator off the ice and this was the fastest they could do their investigation, but it's also giving severe regret for letting them go to worlds vibes.

 

[kwanfan1818]

They've already defended him quite a bit.

I meant to treat an official sanction seriously. I suspect that they never expected these results, and that they could pretend it was all (evil) she vs. (their beloved, or at least their beloved's beloved) him.

They'd have to wait until next season to compete again, but it could happen in theory. The question on that would be if she could get citizenship in time for the Olympics and qualification to it. SC's timing is impeccable if the goal was to spite him - they'd really have to scramble now to make the Olympics and all the time/money put into this season's programs and costumes are wasted.

If she had been able to get Danish citizenship, they never would have switched to Canada in the first place. There have been athletes who've made their home in Denmark who don't qualify for citizenship.

They wouldn't qualify for a release, either. Skate Canada was trying to keep Soucisse/Firus, into whom they had invested less with fewer strong results, and the reason the arbitrator gave for deciding in S/F's favor was that Skate Canada was refusing release based on New Rulz that they hadn't communicated. Those rules are in effect now.

 

[Vagabond]

It should be noted that he's only banned from Skate Canada, so if he still wants to compete he could train with IAM and compete for somewhere else (like Denmark).

He would need a release to do it anytime soon, and I cannot imagine Skate Canada giving him a release while he is suspended.

He is 35 now, so he would be 39 before he could realistically try to switch.

 

[Jay42]

They've already defended him quite a bit.

It should be noted that he's only banned from Skate Canada, so if he still wants to compete he could train with IAM and compete for somewhere else (like Denmark). They'd have to wait until next season to compete again, but it could happen in theory. The question on that would be if she could get citizenship in time for the Olympics and qualification to it. SC's timing is impeccable if the goal was to spite him - they'd really have to scramble now to make the Olympics and all the time/money put into this season's programs and costumes are wasted.

Realistically, though, I think they're done. The timeline is far too short.


Kinda sucks they're stuck in Shanghai. Wonder how the other skaters (and their coaches) are reacting. Like I said, I kinda wonder if SC timed this for maximum punishment effect...

That's not to say I feel bad for Nik - because I don't. I'm just impressed/intrigued by the timing of the announcement. It's probably just that they felt obligated to get a predator off the ice and this was the fastest they could do their investigation, but it's also giving severe regret for letting them go to worlds vibes.

Did SC time this or OSIC? They were in charge of the investigation weren't they? The suspension was posted on their site first.

 

[Lanja]

The question on that would be if she could get citizenship in time for the Olympics

That won't happen, the reason they switched to Canada was because of Denmark's strict residency & language laws to qualify for citizenship. Her being married to him now won't make a difference.

 

[marbri]

Did SC time this or OSIC? They were in charge of the investigation weren't they? The suspension was posted on their site first.

Agree. It's about 12 months to the date that Nik was apparently informed there was a complaint against him by OSIC ( Skate Canada didn't know until later) OSIC just made their decision yesterday (Oct 2) according to their website. Isn't Brennan the one to break this? Just like she did last January when she also had to wait for it to officially come out through OSIC? I suspect she has a source that doesn't work at OSIC but would have been informed by OSIC when a decision is made.

Skate Canada probably found out yesterday just like Brennan and her sources because the decision was made yesterday according to their site. Why would they send FB/S to Shanghai if they knew before then? Doesn't make financial sense and they wouldn't be so cruel to Laurence.

 

[Karen-W]

Skate Canada probably found out yesterday just like Brennan and her sources because the decision was made yesterday according to their site. Why would they send FB/S to Shanghai if they knew before then? Doesn't make financial sense and they wouldn't be so cruel to Laurence.

Pretty sure that Skate Canada didn't pay for FBSoer's trip to Shanghai. This is more similar to Japan Open than other competitions and I believe the organizers pay for the invited skaters/teams travel, lodging & meals.

 

[jackson]

Pretty sure that Skate Canada didn't pay for FBSoer's trip to Shanghai. This is more similar to Japan Open than other competitions and I believe the organizers pay for the invited skaters/teams travel, lodging & meals.

I saw in the skate canada list that Tyler Myles is banned for good. Any word on why?

 

[Karen-W]

I saw in the skate canada list that Tyler Myles is banned for good. Any word on why?

Not sure why you're asking me. I don't even know who that is.

 

[jackson]

Not sure why you're asking me. I don't even know who that is.

Hah, rude. I am asking because he was a coach and here are some of his achievements as a skater from AI:

Tyler Myles has had a notable career in figure skating, particularly in ice dance. Here are some of his major achievements:

1. Canadian Junior Champion: Tyler Myles, along with his partner, won the Canadian Junior Ice Dance Championship.
2. Senior National Team Member: He successfully transitioned to the senior level and became a member of the Canadian Senior National Team.
3. International Competitor: Myles competed internationally, representing Canada in various competitions2.
4. Coaching Success: After his competitive career, he became a coach and has trained skaters who competed at the 2014 Olympic Games and the ISU World Championships from 2011.

 

[jackson]

Not sure why you're asking me. I don't even know who that is.

Also I was responding to the thread, not specifically you.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Also I was responding to the thread, not specifically you.

Except you quoted Karen-W in your reply.

 

[Sylvia]

I saw in the skate canada list that Tyler Myles is banned for good. Any word on why?

Myles is listed under Interim Suspensions (page 2) as of Oct. 2: https://lamp.skatecanada.ca/suspended-en.pdf
In effect for the following period: "February 17, 2024 – To be determined (sanction imposed by Abuse-Free Sport appealed to SDRCC)"

ETA the relevant excerpt from the Canadian Press' Soerensen article yesterday:

Tyler Myles is the only other from Skate Canada to have been suspended, with the coach currently ruled to have permanent ineligibility for "Boundary Transgressions, Interference with or Manipulation of Process, Physical Maltreatment, Sexual Maltreatment."
However, the decision is "under challenge based on applicability of the UCCMS [Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport]."

https://registry.abuse-free-sport.ca/registry.php?mode=2