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Fired CBC radio host Jian Ghomeshi is back in Thornhill, living with his mom after he was released from police custody on $100,000 bail Wednesday, hours after police charged him with four counts of sexual assault and one count of overcoming resistance, choking.
Ghomeshi, 47, was mobbed by reporters as he exited a College Park courthouse following the bail hearing on Wednesday afternoon, but he did not say a word, staring straight ahead even as his lawyer Marie Henein paused to address the media before they were both escorted outside the building by officers.
“Mr. Ghomeshi will be pleading not guilty. We will address these allegations fully and directly in a courtroom,” Henein said. “It is not my practice to litigate my cases in the media and this one will be no different. We will say whatever we have to say in a court of law.”
Under the terms of his bail, Ghomeshi must surrender his passport and reside with his mother Sarah Azar Ghomeshi. He was seen arriving at her home in Thornhill at around 4:30 p.m.
The former ‘Q’ host is also barred from having any contact, direct or indirect, with the three complainants in the case or being within 500 metres of them.
When asked by a judge if he understood the conditions, a clean-shaven Ghomeshi, dressed in a dark suit with a light shirt and black tie, simply nodded and said “yes” and “I do.”
Speaking on behalf of Ghomeshi during the hearing, Henein told the court that she contacted police on Nov. 4 to inform them that her client would turn himself in if, and when, charges were filed.
Henein also said that Ghomeshi has been in Ontario since the allegations first became public.
Ghomeshi’s next scheduled court appearance is Jan. 8.
DeCoutere releases statement
The charges against Ghomeshi come one day after he withdrew a $55-million lawsuit against the CBC for wrongful dismissal and defamation and exactly one month after the public broadcaster publicly cut ties with him.
The suit was filed after the CBC fired Ghomeshi amid numerous allegations that he assaulted woman during dates.
To date a total of nine women and one man have come forward with allegations to the media. Some of them recounted incidents dating back a decade, and though most have remained anonymous, two have chosen to identify themselves, including Trailer Park Boys actress Lucy DeCoutere.
DeCoutere told media and police about a 2003 incident in which Ghomeshi allegedly slapped her three times and choked her to the point that she could not breathe.
“The past month has seen a major shift in the conversation about violence against women. It has been an overwhelming and painful time for many people, including myself, but also very inspiring,” DeCoutere wrote in a statement released after the charges became public on Wednesday. “I hope that victim’s voices continue to be heard and that this is the start of a change that is so desperately needed.”
A sexual assault is defined as any form of unwanted sexual contact and includes, but is not limited to, kissing, grabbing, oral sex and penetration, according to police.
Overcoming resistance, meanwhile, is defined as an attempt by any means to choke, suffocate or strangle another person or any attempt to render another person insensible, unconscious or incapable of resistance.
The maximum penalty for overcoming resistance is life in prison and former OPP Commissioner Chris Lewis tells CP24 that the charge is “rarely used.”
“It is taken very seriously because obviously choking someone and rendering them unconscious could result in their death, even though that is not the intent,” Lewis said.
Blair says Ghomeshi case a “matter for the courts”
The investigation into Ghomeshi began on Oct. 31 and was led by detectives from the sex crimes unit.
Speaking with reporters prior to attending an event on University Avenue on Wednesday afternoon, Police Chief Bill Blair refused to comment on any of the charges filed against Ghomeshi.
“I am the police chief and the responsibility of the police is to conduct investigations and put evidence before the courts,” he said.
“That is what we have done and all further information with regards to that evidence will come through the courts.”
Toronto Star reporter Kevin Donovan told CP24 earlier on Wednesday that additional women have contacted the newspaper with similar allegations against Ghomeshi, however Blair refused to comment when asked whether police have spoken to any victims beyond the three referenced in the charges.
The police chief then took a moment to encourage all sexual assault victims to come forward.
“We encourage victims of any sexual assault to come forward and I want to offer them my assurance that they will be treated with dignity and respect. My people are well trained in these investigations and in this case, and in other cases, I think there is a strong indication that when victims do come forward they will be treated appropriately,” he said.
The Toronto Star has previously reported that the CBC made its decision to fire Ghomeshi after he showed them a video in which a
“large bruise” could be seen on the body of a woman he had dated and text messages referring to it as a “cracked rib.”
In a statement provided to CP24 on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the public broadcaster refused to comment on the criminal charges filed against Ghomeshi.
“We understand that none of the charges involve employees or former employees of CBC, and as is typical we will make no comments about charges that are now before the courts,” Chuck Thompson said.
Ghomeshi has maintained his innocence, writing in a Facebook post on Oct. 26 that he engages in “rough sex” but only when it is
“consensual, and exciting for both partners.”
Prior to today, Ghomeshi had not been heard or seen since he wrote on his Facebook page on Oct. 30 that he intends to “meet the allegations directly” but will not discuss the matter in the media. That Facebook page has since been deleted along with his Twitter account.
Charges highlight need for action: Horwath
At Queen’s Park, where the Ghomeshi scandal has resulted in Premier Kathleen Wynne agreeing to form an all-party committee to study sexual harassment and violence in the workplace, the charges were put forth as evidence of how big the problem is.
“I have to say that what has happened at the CBC only serves to highlight the fact that there are very few processes in place that employers utilize to deal with these kinds of problems,” NDP Leader Andrea Horwath told reporters. “That’s what this discussion should be about and I look forward to adding my voice to it. “
Wynne, meanwhile, refused to comment on the charges but sounded an optimistic tone for the future.
“I am not going to comment on the specifics but I will say that If we are able to create an environment where it easier for people to come forward when they find themselves in a situation where they have been harassed or have been assaulted and if we can as a society make it easier for people to talk about those experiences and then move to action then I think that is a very good thing,” she said.
