WARNING: This story contains details of alleged sexual assaults A massage therapist who trained Kenneth Braun testified about client consent at his sexual assault trial Monday. 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 allegations date from 1996 to 2022. The women cannot be identified due to a publication ban. Pam Fitchner testified at Saskatoon Court of King’s Bench that 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. Fourteen days have been set aside for the jury trial at Saskatoon Court of King’s Bench.
