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Acquittal in Hockey Canada Sexual Assault Case Highlights Complexities of Credibility and Evidentiary Standards

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The recent acquittal of five former World Junior hockey players in a sexual assault trial has sparked intense debate about the complexities of credibility and evidentiary standards in criminal versus civil proceedings. The case, which involved a 2018 incident in London, Ontario, has been subject to years of intense scrutiny, including a police investigation, a civil claim, and internal reviews by Hockey Canada and the National Hockey League (NHL).

The verdict, delivered by Justice Maria Carroccia on July 24, 2025, found the accused not guilty, with the judge stating that the woman, referred to as "EM" throughout the trial, was neither credible nor reliable. However, Hockey Canada's internal review, which was reopened and made mandatory for all players, has found that some conduct violated the organization's policies, and recommendations for reforms were made. Public reports also suggest that Hockey Canada settled two other sexual violence claims around the same time as this case.

The acquittal in criminal proceedings is not uncommon in cases where the parties have settled a civil lawsuit or where the misconduct has been substantiated in a workplace investigation. In this case, the differing standards of evidence and proof in criminal versus civil proceedings and investigations can lead to conflicting outcomes.

Key Takeaways:

  • The acquittal in criminal proceedings does not necessarily mean that harm did not occur, but rather that the Crown failed to meet the high bar of "beyond a reasonable doubt" in criminal proceedings.
  • Internal policy frameworks serve a distinct purpose to uphold values, trust, safety, and standards within organizations, and can address issues not necessarily met by the high criminal threshold.
  • Credibility is a central issue in both criminal and civil proceedings, particularly in sexual assault cases where doubts, issues of consent, memory lapses, and contradictory statements can impact assessments.
  • The NHL has announced that they will consider Justice Carroccia's findings and stated that the behaviours at issue, even if not criminal, were very disturbing and unacceptable.
  • Hockey Canada has noted that the players still face its internal review to determine whether they breached the organization's Code of Conduct.
  • The federal Secretary of State for Sport has emphasized the importance of continuing work on safe sport, citing the need to prevent similar incidents from repeating in the future.

Statistics:

  • 2018: The incident took place in London, Ontario.
  • July 24, 2025: Justice Maria Carroccia delivered her verdict in the trial.
  • 5: Number of former World Junior hockey players acquitted in the trial.
  • 2: Number of other sexual violence claims settled by Hockey Canada around the same time as this case.

Sources:

  • Olivia Bowden, "Five Canadian hockey players found not guilty in blockbuster sexual assault trial" (July 24, 2025), online, (The Guardian): https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/jul/24/canadian-hockey-players-sexual-assault-case-dismissed.
  • Simon Houpt, "NHL says players ineligible to join league while judge's verdict is reviewed" (July 24, 2025), online (The Globe and Mail): https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/article-nhl-to-review-hockey-canada-verdict/.
  • Kristen Shilton, "Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal: Timeline of events" (February 5, 2024), online (ESPN news article): https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/39436540/hockey-canada-sexual-assault-case-scandal-news-updates.

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