
Five former junior hockey players acquitted in high-profile sexual assault case
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All five former members of the 2018 World Junior hockey team were acquitted Thursday(July 24) of sexual assault charges stemming from an alleged group encounter in a hotel room nearly seven years ago.Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia ruled that Michael McLeod Dillon Dube , and Callan Foote were not guilty, stating that the prosecution had failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the sexual activity was non-consensual.'There was reasonable doubt the sexual activity occurred without her consent,' Carroccia said in her ruling, pointing to inconsistencies in the complainant's testimony and video evidence that appeared to contradict her account.The complainant, known in court as EM, alleged she was too intoxicated to consent on the night of June 19, 2018, after meeting McLeod at a bar in London, Ontario. However, the judge said surveillance and cellphone footage, including videos in which EM stated she was 'OK with this,' did not support her claim of incapacity.The case became a flashpoint in Canada's national conversation. It also triggered a crisis within Hockey Canada , which admitted in 2022 that it had used player registration fees to settle a related lawsuit, without revealing the identities of the players involved or admitting faultKaren Bellehumeur, lawyer for E.M., said her client was 'very disappointed' with the outcome.'She's truly a hero,' Bellehumeur said. 'She opened herself up to intense scrutiny and unjustified criticism. There was nothing more she could have done. That said, the justice system must do better.'Central to the defence were two cellphone videos recorded that night in which EM appears calm and lucid, stating that she was 'OK with this.' The prosecution argued the videos were not reliable indicators of consent, particularly given EM's claim that she was in a trauma-induced dissociative state.The judge disagreed as she said, 'She speaks clearly and coherently, displays no signs of intoxication or impairment,' Carroccia said.She also noted surveillance footage showing EM walking, using her phone, and engaging with people at the bar contradicted her testimony of being heavily intoxicated.Prosecutor Meaghan Cunningham told reporters that while the Crown accepts the ruling, her team will 'carefully review' the decision during the appeal window.'Success is not measured solely by guilty verdicts,' Cunningham said. 'We are proud of the fairness and integrity of these proceedings.'Daniel Brown, lawyer for Formenton, said the verdict confirms his client's innocence.'He was condemned and banished from society before any evidence was tested. Today, justice prevailed.'

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