Jian Ghomeshi Told Reporter ‘I Am Innocent’ In September: Three Women Come Forward To Police

Jian Ghomeshi, the former CBC radio star who was fired after his bosses were presented with “graphic evidence that [he] had caused physical injury to a woman,” is on the radar of Toronto police. The city’s sex crimes unit is investigating allegations of physical and sexual assault against Ghomeshi after a third woman has filed a complaint.

Over the past week, several media outlets have published accounts of nine women who have claimed sexual assault on the part of Ghomeshi. The Toronto Star reported yesterday that women continue to come forward to the paper with accounts of incidents involving Ghomeshi. The paper says the incidents go back to his time as a member of the folk-rock band Moxy Früvous in the 1990s.

Ghomeshi’s Moxy Früvous bandmates on Friday called themselves “former” colleagues of the media personality and condemned the alleged behavior, as quoted by The Globe and Mail.

“As former colleagues of Jian (our last show was in 2000), we are sickened and saddened by this week’s news. We had no inkling that Jian engaged in this type of behaviour. We abhor the idea of a sexual relationship of any sort being entered into without full consent from both parties and condemn violence against women in any form. We wish only health and healing to everyone involved.”

Ghomeshi’s whereabouts are unknown, according to the Star.

Insp. Joanna Beaven-Desjardins confirmed that three people have now filed police complaints.

“These people have come forward. They’ve seen that other people are talking about it and it’s brought it back up in their lives.”

Ghomeshi has not yet been contacted by police. Beaven-Desjardins said that will happen “when the evidence leads us to that point.” She said the media surrounding the allegations has encouraged women to tell their stories.

“It was an opportunity for it to be brought to the forefront in our society. And the way that our community gathered around it, and they were disgusted by it and knew that something had to be done, it allowed the alleged victims to come forward and get their story out.”

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the Ghomeshi story has caused the Twitter hashtag #BeenRapedNeverReported to trend.

Earlier today, Star investigative reporter Kevin Donovan recounted his chance meeting with Ghomeshi at a dinner in September. Donovan had been researching the story and tasked Ghomeshi to respond. According to Donovan, he brushed off the allegations.

“I don’t understand why you are still asking questions when our lawyers have told you that I am innocent and there is no story.”

[Image: Google]