As anticipated, the Crown has dropped charges of sexual assault against Jian Ghomeshi in a deal that finds the former CBC radio host signing a peace bond.
Ghomeshi appeared in court today, and apologized to complainant Kathryn Borel, a former CBC employee who alleges Ghomeshi sexually abused her in the workplace.
In his remarks, Ghomeshi said that he now regrets his workplace behaviour.
“I now recognize that I crossed boundaries inappropriately,”; said Ghomeshi in a written statement (below), describing his conduct as “sexually inappropriate.”;
In court, Ghomeshi also revealed that he’s been seeing a therapist for the past year-and-a-half, and plans to continue therapy.
“No workplace friendship or creative environment excuses this sort of behaviour, especially when there’s a power imbalance as there was with Ms. Borel,”; Ghomeshi told the court.
Related: Jian Ghomeshi Verdict: Not Guilty On All Counts
While Ghomeshi didn’t detail precisely what that behaviour was, Borel issued a statement of her own, describing Ghomeshi’s alleged behaviour in shocking detail, including a time “when he came up behind me while I was standing near my desk, put his hands on my hips, and rammed his pelvis against my backside over and over, simulating sexual intercourse.”;
When she later described the incident to police, she explains, “they confirmed that what he did to me was, in fact, sexual assault.”;
She concludes her statement by saying: “I think we all want this to be over. But it won’t be until he admits to everything that he’s done.”;
Following the court appearance, Borel (who agreed to lift the publication ban on revealing her name) spoke with Global News, admitting Ghomeshi signing the bond (which does not equate to an admission of guilt) “seemed like the clearest path to the truth.”;
“He was, I think, forced into”; signing the bond, Borel tells Global News, equating the peace bond with a get-out-of-jail-free card. “He was forced into saying this so he didn’t have to go through trial and risking jail time.”;
