WARNING: This story contains details of alleged sexual assault A Saskatoon woman testified that “alarm bells” went off when her massage therapist encased her thigh and asked if he could move his hands higher. “He kept saying, ‘I just need to push my thumb into your crotch and rub it around, and you’ll experience real relief’ and I’m thinking, ‘This doesn’t make any sense to me, that does not sound like a typical therapeutic maneuver,’” she testified. The woman took the stand Monday at Kenneth Braun’s sexual assault trial at the Court of King’s Bench in Saskatoon. Her identity is protected by a publication ban. Braun, 70, is charged with three counts of sexual assault and one count of sexual exploitation of a young person while in a position of trust or authority. The woman told the jury about two appointments in 1996 in Braun’s garage, which he had converted into a massage studio. She said she was lying on her stomach during the first incident. “He was working on my shoulders when I felt his erect penis push into my right arm,” she testified. “How did you know it was his penis?” asked senior Crown prosecutor Lana Morelli. “I’m a grown woman. It was pretty unmistakable,” the woman responded. She told the jury she was in shock and didn’t want to embarrass Braun, so when he asked at the end of the session if she wanted to book another appointment, she agreed. The next appointment — when she said “alarm bells” went off as Braun held her thigh — was her last. Woman reports alleged incidents to police in 2022 The woman worked with Braun at the Saskatoon Correctional Centre and was part of a group that went biking together. After her last appointment, they continued to work and bike together. She said she never brought up the incidents to Braun. After one group ride, she testified that Braun offered to ride home with her because it was getting dark. She testified that he invited himself inside and asked for a tour. “I thought, ‘This is really weird. I’ve never had him into my home,’” she said. In the dining room, she said Braun went to hug her and tried to kiss her. “I’ll never forget the look on his face. He looked like a different person. There was such a look of aggression on his face ... I felt really unsafe and said, ‘You have to leave,’” she told the jury. The woman testified that she saw Braun riding past her house “at all hours” over the next six weeks and believed he was stalking her. She reported her experience in 2022 after seeing a police social media post asking anyone with information about Braun to come forward. Massage therapist who taught Braun testifies about consent rules for RMTs Pam Fitchner also testified on Monday. Fitchner said she knew Braun through the Massage Therapist Association of Saskatchewan (MTAS) and taught him a course on breast massage in December 2017. Fitchner has worked as a massage therapist since 1997 and specializes in breast massage. She treats people with breast health conditions, including cancer and mastitis. She told the jury that getting a client’s consent is required under MTAS bylaws. She said she checks in with clients before and during treatment and gives them the option to move to another area or stop altogether. “You can change consent at any time and it’s important for [the client] to know that,” Fitchner said. Fitchner said clients decide how much clothing to keep on during treatment. She said therapists typically protect clients’ privacy by draping a sheet over the areas they aren’t treating. Under cross-examination, answering the defence’s questions, Fitchner confirmed massage therapists may use vibrating devices and may need to work on a different part of the body to address a client’s problem area. Last week, two of Braun’s former clients took the stand. One testified that Braun pulled down her underwear and used a vibrating tool between her buttocks and legs. She said he then pulled her underwear back up and commented that it was wet. Another former client testified that Braun touched part of her vagina with his fingers. She said she initially thought it was an accident, until it happened again.
