Alpine Canada has reached an amicable settlement in the case of the prosecution of former Canadian team skier Allison Forsyth, through the insurer of the organization that oversees the discipline in the country.
Forsyth was suing Alpine Canada for its handling of the case involving former coach Bertrand Charest.
Charest was convicted in 2017 and received 12 years in prison for various crimes of a sexual nature committed against young skiers who were under his supervision — some of whom were minors at the time — during the 1990s.
The Quebec Court of Appeal, however, lowered the number of convictions against Charest from 37 to 21, and his sentence was reduced to 57 months. He was paroled in 2020.
Forsyth, who now works to ensure safety in the sport, accused Alpine Canada of being negligent in its way of supervising Charest and ensuring that procedures to ensure the safety of athletes were followed.
Alpine Canada has not revealed the financial details of the out-of-court settlement, but it will not prevent Forsyth from discussing his experience. Alpine Canada will also contribute $15,000 over the next three years to the Canadian Center for Mental Health and Sport.
