MPs called Hockey Canada officials before a parliamentary committee this week and made them swear an oath to tell the truth about an explosive scandal rocking the sports world. The controversy began in May when Hockey Canada settled with a young woman who claims she was sexually assaulted in London, Ont. in 2018 by eight Canadian Hockey League (CHL) hockey players, including members of the World Junior team. Hockey Canada Chief Financial Officer Brian Cairo told MPs the organization settled the lawsuit because it was “the right thing to do” for the complainant and his organization. “We didn’t know all the details of the night, but we believed there was damage,” Cairo said Wednesday. The CHL said that if the players are found to have violated the law, they will face criminal penalties and severe sanctions from the league. As more critics call for Hockey Canada’s leaders to step down, the organization’s president and CEO Scott Smith said he won’t step down unless the board tells him to. Addressing the committee on Wednesday, he admitted that “many of the actions we are taking now should have been done sooner and faster.” For the past two months, Sport Canada – a branch of the federal Department of Heritage – has frozen its funding to Hockey Canada. Sponsors have withdrawn and another, earlier sexual assault complaint has surfaced. Conservative MP John Nater stands up during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, May 11, 2022. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press) Police in Halifax have opened an investigation into an allegation of a separate gang sexual assault involving hockey players in 2003. TSN reports that a source contacted Conservative MP John Nater and described a video showing about six players who were with Canada’s world junior team at the time having sex with an unresponsive woman who was lying face down on a table billiards. WATCH: Hockey Canada has paid 21 sexual harassment settlements since 1989
Hockey Canada has paid 21 sexual harassment settlements since 1989
Hockey Canada officials have revealed that the organization has paid almost $9 million in settlements since 1989 to 21 people making allegations of sexual misconduct. During seven hours of testimony about Hockey Canada’s handling of the alleged 2018 case this week, the responsible Sport Canada minister and Hockey Canada leadership revealed new information about the allegations, what they knew and the extent of the cultural organization problem. Here’s what you need to know.
What are the claims?
A woman who was 20 at the time claims eight unnamed CHL players, including some on Canada’s U20 men’s world hockey team, sexually assaulted her on June 19, 2018, according to her statement of claim filed in a $3.5 million lawsuit in April 2022. Junior world champions were in London, Ont. that time as part of the Hockey Canada Foundation Gala and Golf event. The woman claims that an unnamed hockey player bought her alcoholic drinks at a local bar. She claims she was visibly intoxicated and was seen stumbling and slurring her speech. The statement of claim alleges that the complainant went to the player’s hotel room and engaged in sexual acts. At one point, the statement of claim says, the player allowed seven others into the room without her “knowledge or consent.” The statement of claim said the men brought “golf clubs with them, knowing they would frighten and intimidate her further”. Over the course of several hours, according to the statement of claim, the group of hockey players placed their genitals in her face, spanked her bottom, spat on her, ejaculated on her and performed vaginal intercourse while she was too drunk to consent. The young woman said at some points she was crying and tried to leave the room, but was “directed, manipulated and intimidated into staying,” the statement of claim said. “Any reasonable person, acting reasonably, would have concluded that [she] he was not freely consenting under these circumstances and would have ceased his restraint [her] and sexual behaviors towards her,” the statement of claim states. The claim says that after the sexual assault ended, the players filmed the young woman, instructed her to say she was sober and told her to take a shower. The statement of claim also alleges that the players pressured the young woman not to report the allegations or cooperate with a police investigation. Hockey Canada’s handling of a sexual assault claim in 2018 led critics to call for the organization’s leaders to resign. (@HockeyCanada/Twitter) Hockey Canada is accused in the statement of claim of failing to address systemic abuse in its organization and of endorsing a “culture and environment that glorified the degradation and sexual exploitation of young women.” The allegations have not been proven in court. Hockey Canada did not file a statement of defence. CBC News contacted the woman’s lawyer, who said he has not commented publicly on the case. Hockey Canada has since announced an action plan for change what he calls its “toxic” culture.
How much compensation did the complainant receive?
The young woman asked for about $3.5 million in damages in her statement of claim. Smith said Hockey Canada’s board has agreed to pay the plaintiff up to $3.5 million. As part of the settlement, the woman signed a nondisclosure agreement that places strict limits on what she can say about the matter.
Who has been charged?
The players charged have not been released. There were around 22 players in the 2018 world youth team and all of them had signed professional contracts. Two players from the team ended up returning to the CHL. A third investigator hired by Hockey Canada to look into the matter told MPs a lawyer for the players said they feared they were being prejudged as guilty. Many players from the team have issued statements since May saying they were not at the event in London, or were not involved in what happened or were not aware of what happened.
What happened to the criminal investigation?
London police closed their investigation into the 2018 allegations in February 2019 without laying any criminal charges. Following an outpouring of public outrage, London’s police chief announced last week that he would conduct an internal review to “determine what, if any, additional avenues of inquiry”.
What happened to the Hockey Canada investigation?
Hockey Canada contacted the well-known criminal defense firm Henein Hutchison for legal advice on June 19, 2018, after learning of the allegations. The company advised Hockey Canada to contact the police. Two days later, according to the law firm, Hockey Canada retained the company to conduct a third-party investigation mandated to uncover the truth and identify any systemic or policy issues. One of the firm’s partners, Danielle Robitaille, led the investigation and reported that in 2018 she interviewed 10 of the 19 players who attended the event, along with coaches and staff. Nine of the players – along with the complainant – said they would not be involved in the law firm’s investigation until the police investigation was completed. WATCH: Hockey Canada to ban players who don’t cooperate with investigation, lawyer says
Lawyer Danielle Robitaille says Hockey Canada will ban players who do not participate in the investigation
Robitaille appeared before a House of Commons standing committee looking into allegations of sexual abuse in sport. Robitaille said legal counsel for eight of the nine players she has not spoken with told her they are concerned about being qualified by Hockey Canada. When the criminal case was closed, Robitalle said, she focused for 18 months on getting the complainant to join her investigation. The company closed its investigation in September 2020 “with the caveat of reopening it at a later date” because the complainant refused to provide her account of what happened, Robitaille said. Robitaille said she concluded she should not interview the remaining players without speaking to the complainant because she “needed her version of events to further my investigation.” Henein Hutchison reopened the investigation in July after the complainant said she was ready to participate. The complainant has since filed a statement with the law firm.
What did Sport Canada know?
Hockey Canada told Sport Canada about the allegation in 2018, but the department never informed the federal sport minister’s office. About a week before Sport Canada was notified of the alleged 2018 incident, then-Sports Minister Kirsty Duncan announced a new directive ordering all federally funded sports organizations to disclose to her office “any incident of harassment, abuse or discrimination that could jeopardize the project or planning.” Michel Ruest, a senior director of Sport Canada, told MPs that no one at Sport Canada notified the minister’s office about the case or followed up with Hockey Canada over the past four years to find out what had happened. Current Sports Minister Pascale St-Onge said she was unaware of the allegations until this year. St-Onge announced in June that, going forward, Sport Canada would be required to notify her of all such allegations. WARNING: Sport Canada was aware of the allegations as early as 2018
Sport Canada was aware of Hockey Canada’s allegations as early as 2018
Sport Canada, a federal department, was aware of allegations of sexual harassment at Hockey Canada in 2018 but did not investigate, an official tells a House of Commons committee. In the meantime, the federal Minister of Sports testifies that she was not informed until last year.
How much has Hockey Canada paid to settle sexual abuse claims?
Hockey Canada has paid $8.9 million to 21 whistleblowers since 1989. That number does not include the settlement related to the alleged gang sexual assault case in 2018. Most of the money – $6.8 million…
