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Acquittal of Five Former Canadian Junior Hockey Team Members Highlights Consent and Investigation Issues

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A Toronto court delivered a landmark verdict Thursday, with Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia finding five former members of the Canadian junior hockey team not guilty of sexual assault. The acquittal of Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart, Dillon Dubé, and Cal Foote has raised questions about consent, amateur hockey culture in Canada, and how police investigate sexual assault cases.

Key Takeaways:

  • The accuser, E.M., alleged that she met one of the players at a local bar and returned to his hotel room, where they had consensual sex. She later claimed that several of the player's friends entered the room and sexually assaulted her.
  • Hockey Canada initially took no action on the allegations, and the police closed their investigation in February 2019 without filing charges.
  • The allegations burst into public view in April 2022, when Canadian sports outlet TSN reported that Hockey Canada had settled the lawsuit on behalf of all defendants, including players whose identities it purported not to know.
  • Hockey Canada's CEO and board of directors stepped down in December 2022, following an outcry over the settlement and the reopening of investigations.
  • Each of the five players pleaded not guilty and faced one count of sexual assault, with McLeod facing an additional charge of being a party to the offense.
  • The trial, which began in April and ran through June, resulted in Justice Carroccia dismissing the jury twice and choosing to adjudicate the case on her own.
  • The verdict has sparked renewed discussion about consent and the handling of sexual assault cases in amateur sports.

Statistics:

  • $3.55 million: The amount the accuser, E.M., sought in damages from Hockey Canada, the Canadian Hockey League, and eight players.
  • 3 years: The time that elapsed between the initial allegations being reported and the accuser filing a statement of claim.
  • 2018: The year in which the incident allegedly occurred.
  • 2022: The year in which the allegations burst into public view.
  • 2: The number of times Justice Carroccia dismissed the jury and chose to adjudicate the case on her own.

Sources:

  • TSN
  • The Globe and Mail
  • Parliament of Canada
  • Hockey Canada
  • The Canadian Hockey League

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