Regina chiropractor found guilty of 1 count of sexual assault against a patient

The jury in the trial of a Regina chiropractor accused of sexual assault has returned a verdict of guilty on one count of the seven Ruben Manz was charged with.

The jury found the 49-year-old not guilty on five other counts, and determined one count to be a mistrial.

The verdict was announced just before midnight on Dec. 1, 2024, after a four-week trial at the Court of King's Bench.

All of the allegations, which spanned the course of a decade, were made by former patients of Manz's who testified the chiropractor reached under their bras and touched their breasts while stretching their necks.

Crown prosecutor Jackie Lane laid out her theory of the case during closing arguments. She said Manz had access to the women as a trusted medical caregiver, and betrayed that trust by touching the women sexually without their consent and without a legitimate medical purpose.

Defence lawyer Kathy Hodgson-Smith portrayed the events differently during her closing statement. Hodgson-Smith argued that the 49-year-old is a family man who loved his job and always acted appropriately as a chiropractor. 

Hodgson-Smith pointed to Manz's willingness to break down details of the medical reports of the witnesses during his testimony. During Manz's testimony, the 49-year-old was asked several times to define terminology and explain to the court the process of a regular chiropractic appointment.

The defence argued that the type of neck stretch Manz performed is part of legitimate chiropractic treatment, and that he performed the stretch appropriately and did not purposely touch the witnesses' breasts for a sexual reason.

Hodgson-Smith also said Manz remained consistent under cross-examination, without contradictions.

The defence also called the seven accusers "unreliable," saying their accounts of what happened were influenced by the police officer who was leading the case.

Crown attorneys disputed that characterization, describing each of the witnesses as brave for choosing to share their testimonies.

A prosecutor asked the jury if they wanted to live in a world where sex assaults go without any consequences.

The twelve jurors started deliberating since Friday afternoon after receiving instructions from Justice Janet McMurty, who will set a sentencing date.