'You abused their trust': Crown cross examines accused as Manz trial enters final scheduled week
Ruben Manz faced questions from the prosecution Monday as his sexual assault trial enters the final week of scheduled proceedings.
Manz is accused of sexually assaulting seven women stemming from alleged incidents from 2010 to 2021.
On Friday, he denied all the allegations under oath during the defense’s examination.
The Crown asked Manz if chiropractors treat male patients different than female patients.
“When you're working on the front part of the body?” prosecutor Jakie Lane asked.
“Yes,” Manz responded.
“Because women have breasts?” Lane followed-up.
“Yes,” the accused answered.
Lane then asked if touching the breast was beyond a chiropractor’s scope of practice.
“If a chiropractor slid their hands down the bra, would that be beyond a PNF stretch?” she asked.
“Yes,” Manz said.
“I am going to put it to you that your goal was to touch [the patient’s] breast,” Lane said.
"I never put my hands on any patient's breasts,” Manz responded. “And I had no intention of doing what you suggested."
The Crown argued he was not performing a proper PNF stretch.
“I was always doing the stretch,” Manz testified. “And I was doing it properly.”
Lane then suggested Manz used his medical position as a way to make sexual advances on the seven women.
“You abused the trust these women had in you as their doctor,” she told the court. “And I’m putting it to you that you touched the breasts of all seven of these women under the guise of a neck stretch.”
Manz stressed his innocence once again on the stand.
“I have never touched any patient's breast that I have performed that stretch on,” he said. “I care deeply about my patients' health and that is completely against what I believe in as a chiropractor.”
“That when you're focused on the patient's health, you would do something so horrific as [touch a breast],” Manz added.
To conclude their questioning, the defense asked how the allegations before the court have affected the doctor, his family and business.
“I feel a deep sadness and betrayal,” Manz said. “I am fearful of continuing to treat female patients.”
He added he would have offered alternative options for care if the alleged victims had come forward to him.
“I had no idea that these patients were uncomfortable. And I didn't find out for many years afterwards,” he said. “It could have been remedied easily.”
Manz’s testimony wrapped up in the morning.
The defense finished the day by calling their own expert witness in the afternoon.
Examination began but was not completed before court adjourned for the evening and will continue Tuesday morning.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada Post strike: Union 'extremely disappointed' in latest offer, negotiator says
A negotiator for the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) says the latest offer from Canada Post to end the ongoing strike shows the carrier is moving in the "opposite direction."
Digging themselves out: With Santa Claus parade cancelled, Londoners make best of snowy situation
Londoners continue to dig themselves out from this week’s massive snowstorm.
Trump is welcomed by Macron to Paris with presidential pomp and joined by Zelenskyy for their talks
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Donald Trump to Paris with a full dose of presidential pomp for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral.
Groups launch legal challenge against Alberta's new gender-affirming treatment law
A pair of LGBTQ2S+ advocate organizations say they've followed through with their plan to challenge Alberta's three transgender bills in court, starting with one that bars doctors from providing gender-affirming treatment such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy for those under 16.
Canada's air force took video of object shot down over Yukon, updated image released
The Canadian military has released more details and an updated image of the unidentified object shot down over Canada's Yukon territory in February 2023.
U.S. announces nearly US$1 billion more in longer-term weapons support for Ukraine
The United States will provide nearly US$1 billion more in longer-term weapons support to Ukraine, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Saturday.
New plan made to refloat cargo ship stuck in St. Lawrence River for two weeks
Officials say they have come up with a new plan to refloat a large cargo ship that ran aground in the St. Lawrence River two weeks ago after previous efforts to move the vessel were unsuccessful.
Why finding the suspected CEO killer is harder than you might think
He killed a high-profile CEO on a sidewalk in America’s largest city, where thousands of surveillance cameras monitor millions of people every day.
Sask. doctor facing professional charges in circumcision case
A Saskatoon doctor has been accused of unprofessional conduct following a high-cost adult circumcision that included a request for the patient to text unsecured post-op pictures of his genitals.