London, Ont. – Five former members of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team were acquitted of all charges Thursday in a closely watched sexual assault trial.
Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, and Callan Foote had each been charged with sexual assault in connection with an incident in a London, Ont., hotel in June 2018 following a Hockey Canada gala event. McLeod also faced a second charge of being a party to the offence.
A woman, whose identity is protected by a publication ban and who has been referred to as E.M. in court, alleged that after she willingly accompanied McLeod to the hotel after a night of dancing and drinking at a downtown London bar, McLeod invited his teammates to his room and then joined other players in repeatedly sexually assaulting her for hours.
Justice Maria Carroccia of the Ontario Court of Justice read her decision from the bench Thursday, nearly six weeks after the trial came to a close.
Carroccia said she “did not find the evidence of E.M. to be credible or reliable.”
The players’ criminal trial began in late April in London and was marked by repeated delays, a mistrial, and the dismissal of a second jury.
More to come.