{"id":22084,"date":"2025-07-25T03:16:10","date_gmt":"2025-07-25T03:16:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/22084\/"},"modified":"2025-07-25T03:16:10","modified_gmt":"2025-07-25T03:16:10","slug":"protesters-express-support-for-complainant-in-hockey-canada-sexual-assault-case-outside-courthouse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/22084\/","title":{"rendered":"Protesters express support for complainant in Hockey Canada sexual-assault case outside courthouse"},"content":{"rendered":"

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

Protesters were at the courthouse in London, Ont., to support the complainant ahead of the verdict. The five hockey players accused of sexual assault were found not guilty.Carlos Osorio\/Reuters<\/p>\n

The five hockey players who were acquitted Thursday of sexual assault<\/a> arrived at a courthouse in London, Ont., to a crowd of protesters holding signs and chanting slogans.<\/p>\n

Most of the several dozen protesters were there to support the complainant in the case, known publicly as E.M. because of a publication ban. They held signs saying they believed E.M. and calling for justice, and someone had written \u201cbelieve\u201d in chalk in the sidewalk.<\/p>\n

A few counterprotesters, there to support the players, shouted \u201cnot guilty.\u201d Uniformed riot police armed with shields were on standby.<\/p>\n

Madison Keller and Ayesha Hassan, both from London, were driving by the courthouse when the TV cameras caught their attention. They had been following updates online but were curious to know the outcome. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis kind of culture within hockey, you hear about these kinds of things and it almost seems like they always get away with it,\u201d Ms. Keller said. <\/p>\n

They left when the judge issued the first not-guilty verdict.<\/p>\n

What to know about the Hockey Canada verdict and fallout<\/a><\/p>\n

Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dub\u00e9 and Cal Foote were each charged with one count of sexual assault, while Mr. McLeod faced an additional charge of being a party to a sexual assault.<\/p>\n

All five were found not guilty<\/a> after the judge said she did not find E.M. credible and concluded instead that the woman had consented.<\/p>\n

The players showed little emotion as they walked by the protesters in the morning and maintained the same composure eight hours later as they left after their acquittal.<\/p>\n

While some protesters waited outside, others streamed into a packed courtroom and two overflow rooms, though many left in the morning after the judge said early on in her decision that she did not believe E.M.<\/p>\n

By the time the judge finished her verdict by acquitting the men of all charges, the protesters outside were gone. <\/p>\n

Bob Lloyd, who left the courtroom minutes ahead of the players, said the case was polarizing and that he remained unsure about what actually happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was surprised by how much [E.M.\u2019s] testimony was seen as inconsistent and totally devalued,\u201d Mr. Lloyd said. \u201cI was thinking a couple guys might be in trouble. Once you discredit what she said, then it all goes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel Ovecka, one of the protesters there to support the players, said E.M.\u2019s story \u201cjust isn\u2019t adding up\u201d and that he hoped the defendants wouldn\u2019t just be acquitted, but considered innocent.<\/p>\n

He said E.M.\u2019s accusations and the subsequent trial \u2013 which prompted all five men to take leave from professional hockey<\/a> \u2013 could \u201cruin\u201d the players\u2019 careers and lives.<\/p>\n

On Thursday evening, E.M.\u2019s lawyer Karen Bellehumeur spoke passionately to approximately 50 people gathered outside the courthouse. Speaking to children, adults and seniors, she reminded victims of sexual violence there are entire communities of people who believe them.<\/p>\n

Advocates describe \u2018heartbreaking\u2019 verdict in Hockey Canada trial<\/a><\/p>\n

Drivers speeding by honked in solidarity and attendees cried out \u201cshame\u201d when Ms. Bellehumeur described the judge\u2019s characterization of E.M. Some of the attendees wiped away tears as Ms. Bellehumeur described the judge\u2019s \u201cinsulting, unfair, mocking and disrespectful\u201d comments about the victim.<\/p>\n

The justice system lacks the nuance to interpret complicated responses to situations such as sexual assault, Ms. Bellehumeur said.<\/p>\n

Other speakers shared their anger at what the court had considered consent. In remarks and on signs, attendees said that nakedness, masturbation, clothing and flirting do not equal consent.<\/p>\n

An attendee who identified herself as recently involved in another case involving sexual-violence allegations said she didn\u2019t know how other survivors could come forward in good conscience after the judge\u2019s comments about E.M. She left the vigil holding hands with her partner, in tears.<\/p>\n

Jessie Rodger and Jennifer Dunn, both organizers and directors of centres in London for women and violence survivors, reminded everyone the community still has work to do. <\/p>\n

Ms. Rodger called the trial \u201csuper intense.\u201d Speaking to E.M. \u2013 who wasn\u2019t in attendance \u2013 she said her truth forced the whole country to reckon with how the system addresses sexual violence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Open this photo in gallery: Protesters were at the courthouse in London, Ont., to support the complainant ahead…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":22085,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[901,888,902,879,877,903,49,48,876,895,896,891,878,875,46,549,295,894,887,914,880,881,893,889,890,884,904,885,909,910,44,912,907,911,905,908,882,898,899,714,897,906,865,61,900,892,886,883,913],"class_list":["post-22084","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-canada","tag-alberta","tag-arts-news","tag-bc","tag-breaking-news","tag-breaking-news-video","tag-british-columbia","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-canada-news","tag-canada-sports","tag-canada-sports-news","tag-canada-trafficcanada-weather","tag-canadian-breaking-news","tag-canadian-news","tag-economy","tag-education","tag-environment","tag-federal-government","tag-foreign-news","tag-globe-and-mail","tag-globe-and-mail-breaking-news","tag-globe-and-mail-canada-news","tag-government","tag-life-news","tag-lifestyle","tag-local-news","tag-manitoba","tag-national-news","tag-new-brunswick","tag-newfoundland-and-labrador","tag-news","tag-northwest-territories","tag-nova-scotia","tag-nunavut","tag-ontario","tag-pei","tag-photos","tag-political-news","tag-political-opinion","tag-politics","tag-politics-news","tag-quebec","tag-sports-news","tag-technology","tag-travel","tag-trudeau","tag-us-news","tag-world-news","tag-yukon"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22084","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22084"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22084\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22085"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22084"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22084"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22084"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}