Canada Junior Hockey Sexual Assault Trial Continues

The sexual assault trial of five former members of Canada’s 2018 World Junior hockey team continues in London, Ontario, with evidence including surveillance footage, phone videos, and group chat messages presented by prosecutors. Taylor Raddysh, a current NHL player who is not accused, testified remotely about explicit group chat messages, though he recalled little about the night in question. Videos were shown in court where the complainant, E.M., appeared to consent, but the Crown contends this does not cover the alleged involvement of additional team members without her agreement. The accused—Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dubé, and Callan Foote—have all pleaded not guilty, and McLeod faces an additional charge of being a party to the offence. Proceedings have been delayed by a sick juror and technical issues, but further testimony from NHL players is expected. Central to the case are questions regarding the nature of consent and the events as reconstructed from digital evidence.