A former Gymnastics Canada coach accused of sexually assaulting six of his students in the 1980s and 1990s faced one of his alleged victims in court on Monday.
Michel Arsenault appeared in the Montreal courthouse for a preliminary hearing.
Once considered one of the top gymnastics coaches in Canada, the former coach has been out on bail while awaiting trial. He was arrested in Edmonton in May and has been charged with three counts of sexual assault and four counts of assault involving girls and women who were between 10 and 20 years old.
On Monday, a now 45-year-old former student detailed her experiences with Arsenault. She said massages after intense training sessions later turned into sexual intercourse and that she didn’t come forward as she feared Arsenault would ruin her chances of making the Olympic team.
She sobbed on a few occasions while retelling her story in the courthouse.
To avoid any contact between the alleged victim and Arsenault, the judge ordered the installation of a divider in the courtroom.
Several women have alleged that Arsenault touched them inappropriately during the time he was training them, including one who said he kissed her on the lips when she was 12 and another who said he forced her to touch him when she was 15. Several other women have accused Arsenault of abusing them physically, though not sexually.
Arsenault denies the charges. He has been suspended by Gymnastics Canada.
The preliminary inquiry will last a full week, after which, the judge will decide if there's enough evidence to send Arsenault to trial.
In the meantime, he remains free on bail.
