4 former members of Canada’s 2018 World Juniors hockey workforce who now play within the NHL have been charged with sexual assault in connection to allegations involving that workforce, their attorneys confirmed Tuesday.
Attorneys for New Jersey Devils gamers Michael McLeod and Cal Foote and Calgary Flames ahead Dillon Dube instructed World Information their purchasers have been charged by police in London, Ont. Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart has additionally been charged, his attorneys stated in a public assertion.
A fifth former member of the 2018 workforce who now performs in Switzerland, former Ottawa Senators participant Alex Formenton, surrendered to police on Sunday.
McLeod’s attorneys David Humphrey and Seth Weinstein stated in an announcement Tuesday that their shopper “denies any wrongdoing.”
“He might be pleading not responsible and can vigorously defend the case.”
Louis P. Strezos and Kaleigh Davidson, who stated they signify Dube, launched their very own assertion saying he may also plead not responsible “and maintains his innocence.”
“He’ll defend the allegations in court docket,” they stated.
Toronto lawyer Julianna Greenspan stated in an announcement that Foote is charged with sexual assault.
“Cal is harmless of the cost and can defend himself in opposition to this allegation to clear his identify,” she stated.
A statement posted to social media by legislation agency Savard Foy LLP confirmed Hart was charged with one rely of sexual assault by London police.
“He’s harmless and can present a full response to this false allegation within the correct discussion board, a court docket of legislation,” attorneys Megan Savard and Riaz Sayani stated within the assertion.
On Sunday, Formenton turned himself into London police headquarters. Formenton’s attorneys instructed the Globe and Mail that he was charged in connection to “an accusation made in 2018,” and would plead not responsible.
Not one of the allegations have been confirmed in court docket.
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Earlier this month, all 5 gamers’ groups publicly introduced that they had been granted indefinite leaves of absence, however the groups didn’t point out the London case. The Flames’ statement stated Dube was taking go away “whereas he attends to his psychological well being” and that he’s “underneath the care of well being professionals.”
In a brand new assertion Tuesday, the Flames stated they “had no information of pending expenses on the time Dillon’s request for a go away of absence was granted.”
The Devils and Flyers, in addition to Formenton’s Switzerland workforce HC Ambri-Piotta, haven’t commented on the costs.
London police are anticipated to carry a press convention on the case on Monday, Feb. 5.
The costs stem from an alleged group sexual assault in London, Ont., in June 2018 after a Hockey Canada gala occasion.
Information of the occasion first broke in Might 2022 after TSN reported Hockey Canada had settled a civil lawsuit with the complainant. That report triggered a sequence of occasions, which included renewed investigations, in addition to intense scrutiny targeted on Hockey Canada that ultimately led your complete board and management workforce to resign.
Foote’s agent beforehand instructed World Information in 2022 his shopper was not concerned within the alleged sexual assault. A lawyer for Hart on the time stated his shopper had not “engaged in any wrongdoing.” Dube’s agent stated on the time his shopper “didn’t have interaction in any wrongdoing.” Makes an attempt to contact representatives for McLeod and Formenton on the time went unanswered.
Courtroom paperwork first reported by the Globe and Mail final December and confirmed by World Information revealed London police stated they’ve “affordable grounds” to consider 5 members of the 2018 workforce had been concerned in a bunch sexual assault.
On the time, London police requested a choose to approve a sequence of investigative measures, like search warrants and manufacturing orders, associated to their probe.
“I consider, on affordable grounds, given the totality of the circumstances that I’ll described beneath, that (E.M.) was sexually assaulted. Her perceptions of the night had been one through which she understood and initially (particular sexual act(s)) with (Participant #1). The (particular sexual act(s)) that occurred after that was non-consensual,” wrote Sgt. David Younan within the court docket paperwork on the time.
“I consider, when taking a world view of the proof, (E.M.) subjectively believed that she had no different however to have interaction within the (particular sexual act(s)). Additional, I consider that every of the suspects knew or must have recognized that (E.M.) had not consented to the (particular sexual act(s)) through which every engaged.”
Two investigations — one by London police and one other by legislation agency Henein Hutchison LLP, which was retained by Hockey Canada to conduct an unbiased probe — had been launched a day after the incident allegedly occurred. Each had been closed months later with no expenses or sanctions in opposition to any of the gamers alleged to have been concerned.
Nevertheless, after the allegations turned public in Might 2022, each investigations had been reopened.
Hockey Canada in November stated the ultimate report from an unbiased adjudication panel that regarded into the alleged sexual assaults wouldn’t be launched publicly amid an attraction, which might be held behind closed doorways.
Henein Hutchison LLP’s investigative report has additionally remained sealed all through the adjudication course of, which itself was carried out in personal.
All gamers from the 2018 world junior workforce stay suspended by Hockey Canada and are ineligible to play, coach or in any other case take part in any Hockey Canada-sanctioned occasions — together with worldwide competitors — pending the completion of the attraction course of, the group stated.
—With recordsdata from World’s David Baxter, Naomi Barghiel, Aaron D’Andrea and Nathaniel Dove
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