Detective's Investigation into Sexual Assault Allegations by World Junior Hockey Team Members Criticized

Strategic Insights -

London police detective Steve Newton's investigation into allegations of sexual assault by members of the 2018 Canadian world junior championship team has come under scrutiny. Newton, who was with the London police's sexual assault and child abuse section at the time, declined to lay charges in February 2019 after an eight-month investigation. The Crown has argued that Newton had a "fundamental misunderstanding" of the legal definition of consent and didn't have a "genuine interest" in the truth. The investigation has been criticized for its shortcomings, including Newton's failure to ask crucial questions of the accused players and his failure to review all available evidence, including footage from Jack's Bar.

Key Takeaways:

  • The detective in charge of the initial investigation, Steve Newton, had a "fundamental misunderstanding" of the legal definition of consent and didn't have a "genuine interest" in the truth.
  • Newton declined to lay charges in February 2019 after an eight-month investigation, despite interviewing the complainant several times and most of the hockey players now on trial, as well as reviewing surveillance and other video evidence.
  • Newton had doubts about the complainant's assertion that she was too drunk to consent, and wondered in his report where she had been an "active participant" when engaging sexually with players in a room at the Delta Armouries hotel in the early hours of June 19, 2018.
  • Newton made only a passive effort to interview the players who were in Room 209 at the Delta, and failed to ask them about potentially relevant details such as slapping or the player doing the splits on the complainant.
  • Newton also failed to ask the players to consider turning over text messages that they referred to, including a text from McLeod about a three-way.
  • Newton's investigation was criticized for its lack of thoroughness and its shortsightedness in failing to consider all available evidence and questioning strategies.
  • The Crown has argued that Newton's investigation was motivated by a preconceived notion that there were no grounds for charges, rather than a genuine interest in getting at the truth.

Statistics:

  • The investigation into the allegations of sexual assault by world junior hockey team members lasted for eight months.
  • The Crown has alleged that the accused players engaged in a range of non-consensual sexual activities, including intercourse, oral sex, and slapping the complainant.
  • The players involved were named as Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart, Dillon Dubé, and Cal Foote.
  • The complainant had identified only McLeod and Formenton, two of the five accused men, as being in the hotel room.
  • The investigation was reopened in 2022 with a different detective in charge, Lyndsey Ryan, amid intense public pressure.

Sources:

  • The Globe and Mail, "Detective's investigation into sexual assault allegations by world junior hockey team members criticized" (no date provided)
  • The Toronto Star, "Detective's report on world junior hockey team sex assault allegations raises eyebrows" (no date provided)
  • TSN, "Hockey Canada settles lawsuit with complainant in world junior sex assault allegations" (February 2022)
  • Nicole Osborne/ THE CANADIAN PRESS