Ontario jury trial set to begin in Canada world junior sex assault case

A high-profile sexual assault trial involving five former members of Canada’s world junior hockey team is set to begin Tuesday.

Dillon Dube, Carter Hart, Michael McLeod, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton were charged with sexual assault early last year in a 2018 alleged group sexual assault in London, Ont., after a Hockey Canada gala event. McLeod is facing an additional charge of being a party to the offence of sexual assault.

All five players are expected to plead not guilty. Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia will preside over the trial in London, which is expected to unfold over several weeks.

News of the event first broke in May 2022 after TSN reported Hockey Canada had settled a civil lawsuit with the female complainant.

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That report triggered a series of events, which intense scrutiny focused on Hockey Canada that eventually led the entire board and leadership team to resign.

London Police, which closed an initial investigation without charges in 2019, would reopen the case three years later and lay charges.

Chief Thai Truong apologized to the victim in February 2024, saying “It shouldn’t take years and years for us to arrive at the outcome of today.”

He and other officers offered few details, saying they could not compromise the ongoing legal case.

— with files from The Canadian Press

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