Protesters gather in front of Bible Hill Jr. High School, in Truro, N.S., on Wednesday.Ted Pritchard/The Globe and Mail
Parents and children in a Nova Scotia town rallied outside a local junior high school Wednesday, to stand up for two students who were among three boys on a minor hockey team allegedly sexually assaulted by their teammates.
Earlier this month RCMP charged four boys as part of an investigation into hazing incidents involving an under 15 minor hockey team. The team is based in the Truro area, but draws players from all over the province.
Court documents released this week show the attacks on three players – whose identities, along with those of the accused, are protected by the Youth Criminal Justice Act – are alleged to have taken place last fall, somewhere in Colchester County, which includes Truro.
One boy has been charged with two counts of sexual assault, and one count of sexual assault with a weapon – a mini hockey stick – for an incident on Oct. 3, 2025.
A second boy is facing the same charges, but has also been charged with assault with a weapon – described as urine – after an attack on one of the three players between Oct. 1, 2025, and Dec. 30.
Both of these accused were 14 at the time of the alleged incident.
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Court documents have not yet been filed on two other boys charged in the case.
At Bible Hill Junior High in Truro, where two of the complainants and one of the accused attend school, about 100 parents, seniors and students gathered Wednesday to support the complainants.
Sarah Stewart-Clarke, a mother of a child in Grade 9, said she organized the rally after learning the accused returned to school last Friday after a suspension. (The school has not confirmed the suspension or the return.) As a result, she said the two complainants have stayed home. When she complained to administrators, she said she was advised that their hands are tied.
“We feel that they deserve to be at school and feel safe at their school,” she said.
“We think they’re heroes for reporting what happened to them, that it’s kept other children in our community safe, and we stand with them every step of the way.”
Blair Rhyno, a father of two students at the school, echoed her thoughts with tears in his eyes. “I don’t think it’s fair that the accused is allowed to walk the halls at the school while the victims are at home, too scared to come to school,” he said. “I think the victims have a right to an education.”
About two dozen teenagers in hoodies and ball caps, some of whom said they were hockey players, gathered on the snowy sidewalk outside the brick school. Some waved to cars that honked as they passed. One older man driving a truck pulled over, lowered his window and clapped in support of the demonstrators.
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Grade 8 student Emelia Ryan said she and her friends wanted to help make the complainants feel safe at school, which she said has felt different since the charges were announced Feb. 5.
“A lot of people have been a lot more scared to go around the school and interact with people,” she said, adding that school officials have barred access to some washrooms and locker rooms.
Jennifer Rodgers, a spokesperson for the school’s administrator, the Chignecto Regional Centre for Education, said in a statement that when the youth criminal justice system is engaged, they work with police to deal with any conditions imposed by the courts. “Otherwise, we are unable to provide any details to protect privacy of those involved,” she wrote.
Both accused have been ordered by police not to contact three people. They’re also prohibited from entering a public dressing room unless they are with an adult.
Hockey Canada requires all minor hockey teams implement the “Rule of Two” – two screened and trained adults are to be present in the dressing room or immediately outside with the door propped open to ensure it’s free of maltreatment.
“It is the responsibility of coaches and team staff to ensure that no such violent behaviour is taking place in dressing rooms,” the policy says.
None of the team’s coaches responded to a request for comment.
RCMP said a boy reported to police on Jan. 30 that he was assaulted during a private team gathering in October, 2025. RCMP investigators gathered multiple statements and learned offences had allegedly occurred at other locations and involved other victims and witnesses.
Colchester County District RCMP District Commander Staff Sergeant Marc Rose said in a recent statement that he believes there may be other victims.
“We understand that coming forward can be difficult,” he wrote. “If there are others who’ve been harmed, we want them to know they’ll be heard, supported, and treated with respect. They can reach out to us safely and at a pace that feels right for them.”
Hockey Nova Scotia executive director Mike Field said when his office learned of the alleged maltreatment on Jan. 30, it was immediately reported to the RCMP, child welfare agencies and to Hockey Canada’s Independent Third Party. The ITP was created in 2022 in response to the case of former world junior hockey team players charged and later acquitted of sexual assault.
Mr. Field said Hockey Nova Scotia has been working with the RCMP, ITP and Hockey Canada. Meanwhile, he added, the youth team has been suspended. The team name has been scrubbed from the league website.
“As this process is ongoing, and in order to protect the privacy of those involved, we are unable to provide further details at this time,” he wrote in a statement to The Globe and Mail.
Hockey Canada chief of staff Jeremy Knight said he is unable to comment to ensure he does not interfere with the independent process of the ITP investigation.
The two accused are scheduled to appear in Youth Justice Court in Truro on April 14.