A Montreal woman has filed a class action lawsuit against
Nordik Spa Village Chelsea
for alleged sexual assault during massage therapy treatments.
The suit is based on the case of “AB”, whose identity was shielded, who alleges she was sexually assaulted by a massage therapist while receiving treatments in 2024, when she was 49.
The class action case was filed on Aug. 13.
The file now goes before a judge of the Superior Court of Quebec to assess the case’s merit before it can proceed to court.
There is no set standard on how long that process could take.
We maintain that the defendant (Nordik Spa Village Chelsea Inc.) did not take the necessary measures to prevent or stop the sexual abuse committed at its establishment, and that it therefore incurred liability,” the release states.
The document relates one event where AB felt the masseur was acting inappropriately.
“I asked him three times (ease the pressure), but he didn’t,” AB is quoted as saying.
In the statements filed with the court, AB said at one point she was shocked to feel the masseur’s genitals in her hand.
She left the spa with a friend.
She says she’s lost her sense of security since the event.
The statement accuses Nordik Spa of not apologizing when she called the massage therapist’s manager the day after the alleged events to tell her about her situation, of not calling her back to check on her condition and of not making any attempt to understand the situation or obtain feedback from the plaintiff in order to prevent further abuse of this kind that could take place within her establishment.
One of the plaintiff’s lawyers, Philippe Brault, said in an interview that about 40 other alleged victims have joined the group in recent days as news of the class action spreads.
The class action request
does not concern
any earlier arrests or charges.
According to the filing, the plaintiff is seeking compensatory damages for all persons who could potentially be affected, as well as punitive damages to punish the violation of the rights to safety, integrity and preservation of the dignity of victims of sexual assault, rights.”
In an emailed response, Nordik Spa general manager Isabelle Mathieu states:
“Nordik Spa Village Chelsea does not tolerate any misconduct or inappropriate behaviour on the part of the massage therapists practicing in our spa. All therapists are subject to rigorous screening at the onset, including a criminal background check. We also conduct audits throughout their time at the spa.
“We will comment on the allegations contained in a class action lawsuit that has just been filed against us, with full transparency, at the appropriate time. It is our policy to cooperate fully with authorities whenever allegations are brought to our attention.
“For now, we would like to reassure the public about the rigour of our internal controls and our lack of tolerance for any behaviour that compromises the safety or trust of our guests.”
