'Disturbed me so greatly': First witnesses take stand in sexual assault trial of Sask. chiropractor

The trial of a former Regina chiropractor who is facing multiple counts of sexual assault continued on Tuesday morning, with two witnesses taking the stand.

Ruben Manz is facing seven charges of sexual assault ranging from 2010-2020. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.

First witness 

Thirteen jurors heard from the first witness in the case, one of the seven alleged victims who saw Manz as a patient. The witness began seeing Manz in 2009, seeking treatment for issues related to a car accident she had been in 10 years prior.

By her memory, the woman estimates seeing Manz at least 10 times before the alleged offence.

The witness expressed that due to this accident, she had received many chiropractic treatments from different chiropractors prior to seeing Manz, estimating around 200 treatments prior to seeing him.

The witness recalled that she immediately knew something was wrong during this particular appointment with Manz.

She recalled a neck stretch in which Manz began putting his hands on her skin near her shoulder.

"He put his hand into my bra and pulled up on my breast. And I said, 'What are you doing?'

He said, 'Just relax, this is part of the treatment,’ the witness said.

The witness said she responded by saying, “The hell it is,” and explained that she then got up and left the room.

The witness said that she was then asked by the Argyle Natural Health Centre receptionist to pay for her appointment, to which she refused. The witness recalled being told by the receptionist that the police would be called, to which she said she replied, 'Good, they should'.

The witness recalled going to police in 2021 after hearing news of Manz being arrested for sexual assault.

When asked how the alleged offence has affected her, the witness tearfully recalled that she has struggled to trust medical professionals since.

"I had to find the strength to let someone be able to touch me and heal me after going through that and not being able to trust someone, so it has absolutely affected me, my everyday life, especially the last four months."

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The defence

As the defence took their turn cross examining the witness, they questioned the 12-year gap between the alleged offence and filing a police report.

The defence questioned the witness's emotional state at the time of her interactions with police regarding the alleged offence and the people she shared her recollection of the offence with.

When asked why she waited so long between the alleged offence and reporting to police, the witness expressed that she was angry to see that other women experienced similar instances, and she wanted to 'back up' their stories.

The witness also stated that in the days following the alleged offence, she made a report to the Chiropractic Association, to which there was no outcome.

As the cross examination continued, the defence inquired into the witness's memory of the alleged offence after over a decade.

"The only thing I remember specifically was how it ended, because it was so out of the ordinary and I was not okay with it," the witness said.

"I went through something that disturbed me so greatly that, I don't remember how many times I was there. I remember that one incident with him like it was yesterday. And I've remembered it this whole time not because it came up in a news report.... because it wasn't okay and I haven't had a chiropractor before then or since then do that to me."

Second witness 

The recollection of the second witness had several similarities to the testimony of the first woman to take the stand. This woman also sought out chiropractic treatment at the Argyle Natural Health Centre and began seeing Manz for neck problems following a car accident in 2005.

It was during these treatments that the witness recalled Manz using a maneuver to stretch her neck.

"He was using a technique to stretch my neck...he would hold my shoulder with one hand and neck with another....the appointment started with his hand on my shoulder and then as the appointments progressed, Manz's hand placement began making her uncomfortable.

"It [Manz's hand] just seemed to get lower with each appointment to the point where the last appointment where I would feel my breast lifting out of my bra so I said something to him right away. I said, 'you're pulling my boob out of my bra'"

The witness recalled that there was no explanation from Manz as to why his hand was under her bra straps, and that appointment was her last at the Argyle Natural Health Centre.

"That appointment made me so uncomfortable, I didn't want to go back."

This witness also reported the incident to the Regina Police Service (RPS) following a press release in 2021. She recalled feeling unsure of whether or not she should report the incident to RPS saying:

"I wasn't sure if emotionally, I would be able to handle this...I was 100 per cent sure that I was uncomfortable with what had taken place. But when something like that happens you question yourself. Like did this really happen? I just went for a chiropractor treatment, is this supposed to happen? so I second guessed myself."

The witness went on to express how she had very conflicting feelings about reporting the matter, and questioned if what she experienced was categorized as assault. She was steadfast in the fact that Manz touching her breast made her uncomfortable, and expressed that no other chiropractor she had been to put their hands on her that way.

"Its really disappointing to have something like that done by someone that you should've been able to trust. I wasn't in a nightclub, I wasn't dressed inappropriately. I wasn't in a space where I could potentially been a victim, I simply went to my chiropractor. It affects your trust," the witness said.

The trial will continue on Wednesday with more witnesses taking the stand.