4 more women coached by Bertrand Charest go public with their stories

The Quebec Superior Court has granted a request by four more women to have the publication ban lifted on the use of their names in connection with the case of former national ski instructor Bertrand Charest, who was convicted of sexual assault charges last year.

Allison Forsyth, Katie Bertram, Gillian McFetridge and Émilie Cousineau said they wanted to go public to share their stories, in order to help prevent sexual assault in sports.

They also said they wanted to "make sure what happened to them doesn't happen to others."

The women — all former competitive skiers who were coached by Charest — join four other women whom Bertrand coached who came forward earlier this week after a judge lifted a publication ban on their names last Friday.

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 the 1990s involving nine victims.

The victims were all girls and young women between the ages of 12 and 19 at the time of the offences.

Charest was acquitted of the sexual-related offences brought against him by three of the women who came forward today: Forsyth, Bertram and McFetridge.

Forsyth, who is from Nanaimo, B.C., won a bronze medal in giant slalom at the 2003 world alpine championship and finished seventh in that event at the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002.

'Devastating consequences': Cousineau

Bertrand was convicted for sexually assaulting Cousineau.

In an affidavit filed in court Tuesday, Cousineau said Charest began abusing her at 16, sexually assaulting her in 1996 and 1998.

"The assaults had devastating consequences on my physical and mental health," Cousineau said in that statement.

"I lived and still live with feelings of shame and guilt for the assaults that I suffered. My self-confidence was deeply shaken and remains so today."

Revealing her identity publicly is a step on her path to healing, Cousineau said.