Police Detective's Handling of Sexual Assault Case Criticized as Trial Nears Conclusion
The trial of five members of the 2018 Canadian world junior championship team, charged with sexual assault, has brought to light criticisms of the initial police investigation led by Det. Steve Newton. Newton's flawed understanding of the legal definition of consent and his lack of a genuine interest in the truth have been highlighted by the Crown, who argue that these shortcomings contributed to the complainant feeling uncomfortable sharing details of the night with him.
Key Takeaways:
- Det. Steve Newton, who led the initial investigation, had a "fundamental misunderstanding" of the legal definition of consent, according to the Crown.
- Newton's report showed that he doubted the complainant's assertion that she was too drunk to consent and wondered where she was an "active participant" in the sexual activity.
- The detective reviewed surveillance footage from the Delta hotel lobby, but not from Jack's Bar, where the complainant had met the accused men.
- Newton made only a "passive effort" to interview the players who were in the hotel room and failed to ask them about slapping or the splits, which the complainant had reported in her initial police interview.
- The Crown argues that Newton had made up his mind that there would never be grounds for charges and was conducting the interviews to confirm this, rather than with a genuine interest in getting at the truth.
Statistics:
- The complainant had spent $3.5 million in a lawsuit against Hockey Canada and eight unnamed John Doe players.
- The police reopened their probe in 2022 after TSN reported that Hockey Canada had quickly settled the lawsuit.
- The five accused men, Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, and Cal Foote, were charged with sexual assault in 2024.
- The complainant had only been able to identify McLeod and Formenton as the men she had engaged in sexual activity with.
Sources:
- www.thestar.com
- TSN
- London Police Service
- Hockey Canada