Jian Ghomeshi, the former Canadian radio star, apologized Wednesday to a woman who accused him of sexual assault and signed a peace bond as part of an agreement with prosecutors, ending a two-year legal saga that roiled Canadian media and sparked a national conversation on sexual assault.
The charges stemmed from allegations made by Kathryn Borel, who worked alongside Ghomeshi at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Prior to the allegations against him, Ghomeshi was one of the most prominent figures in Canadian media and had a substantial international following.
The peace bond avoids a second trial for Ghomeshi that had been scheduled for June. The Toronto Star has more on the allegations and his apology:
Ghomeshi, 48, stood before a judge and read an apology to Kathryn Borel for his “sexually inappropriate behaviour” in the workplace.
“I now recognize that I crossed boundaries inappropriately,” Ghomeshi said, speaking in the court for the first time since entering his not-guilty plea. “I didn’t appreciate the damage that I caused… the incident was thoughtless and I was insensitive to her perspective and how demeaning my conduct was towards her.”
The court heard that while they were working late at the office one night in 2008 Ghomeshi approached Borel from behind as she leaned over her, “held her waist and pressed his pelvis back and forth repeatedly into her buttocks” while they were both fully clothed, according to the facts supporting the peace bond. The incident lasted several seconds.
Outside the courthouse, Borel told reporters she wanted the ordeal to end and considered his apology to be “an acknowledgement of wrongdoing.” She also criticized the CBC for ignoring her complaints when she raised them in 2008.