'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."

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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.