Former English National Ballet principal dancer jailed for sexual assault

Former English National Ballet principal dancer Yat-Sen Chang has been jailed for nine years for sexual assault.

ENB said in a statement it was "shocked and concerned" to learn of the offences and that it had commissioned a thorough review of its policies as a result.

The BBC reports that Chang attacked girls and women at the English National Ballet and Young Dancers Academy between December 2009 and March 2016.

Chang was sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court after being found guilty of 12 counts of sexual assault and one count of assault by penetration following a trial earlier this year.

He was accused of attacking four females, aged between 16 and 19 at the time, by inappropriately touching them during massages at the schools.

In a victim impact statement read out in court, one woman said she had been left feeling "vulnerable and numb".

Another woman said Chang had ruined "most of my late teenage years", adding that she still feels "haunted, violated, shamed and humiliated".

During the sentencing, judge Edward Connell told Chang he had used his "fame and prestige in the ballet world to abuse young women", and then became "emboldened when the young women did not report [his] conduct".

Addressing Chang, the judge said: "Your offending has had a profound impact on all your victims and you have demonstrated no remorse for your appalling behaviour."

A spokeswoman for English National Ballet said: "English National Ballet was shocked and concerned to learn of the offences of a former company dancer. Our thoughts are with the victims who have shown bravery and strength in raising their voices.

"While English National Ballet was not aware of the detail of the offences and was not directly involved in the investigation, we were appalled to learn from press coverage that incidents of abuse took place in our former premises.

"English National Ballet takes safeguarding very seriously and our policies and practices are designed to protect individuals and ensure appropriate reporting. In light of these historic offences by a former member of our company, we commissioned a thorough review of these policies and practices."