Alleged assault ‘won’t be swept under the carpet’
The governing body of amateur hockey in British Columbia says it will likely review how bullying complaints are handled and monitored following revelations in the National Post of a significant locker room incident now being investigated by the RCMP as an assault.
The North Shore Winter Club (NSWC), a private members-only facility in North Vancouver that counts many former NHL stars among its alumni, is now the focus of a police probe and complaints by parents over its handling of the incident.
Barry Petrachenko, BC Hockey’s chief executive officer, said his organization is ready to listen if the victim’s family wants to appeal the NSWC’s decision, and assured it would not be “swept under the carpet.”
As reported Wednesday by the Post, a member of the club’s Bantam Elite Team — comprised of players 13 and 14 years old — was undressing in the team’s dressing room after an on-ice practice on Dec. 10 when another player allegedly held him in a headlock and touched his buttocks in an indecent manner; the boy called out for him to stop, according to allegations made to the club.
Soon after, in the weight room, the same boy was allegedly accosted by a different teammate, who allegedly was grabbing or trying to grab sensitive body parts.
The coach and assistant coach moved to kick the two alleged perpetrators off the team but the club overruled the decision after an appeal by their parents. The players were allowed back after a brief suspension.
In response, the coach, Brad Rihela, quit, telling the Post: “Someone had to take a stand.”
The club said that after a thorough investigation, a disciplinary committee had concluded there were “two incidents of bullying” but denied any sexual component to them.
After initially telling the Post it could not confirm an investigation unless charges were laid, North Vancouver RCMP on Thursday issued a public statement acknowledging it was investigating an “alleged assault” that had occurred at the club on Dec. 10.
“The RCMP received details of the incident on Jan. 27, 2019,” the statement said. “This ongoing investigation includes taking statements from players of the minor hockey club, coaches, guardians and parents.”
The Post understands the tip came to police anonymously.
Asked if investigators were concerned about the delay in reporting the alleged assault, RCMP spokesman Cpl. Richard De Jong said: “Police will now be creating a timeline of what allegedly occurred back in December 2018. Doing so weeks later can potentially be more difficult than having more recent access to that information.”
The club previously said the victim’s family had asked it to investigate the matter but requested that it not contact the authorities.
Ravi Hira, a lawyer representing the victim’s family, confirmed the investigation surrounds an allegation of assault and bullying.
“We can say on the record this is an allegation of assault. It is also bullying. Bullying can be an assault in some cases. Repeated bullying can be in some cases worse than a single incident of assault,” Hira said.
“Bullying beyond verbal taunting — any physical aspect of bullying — is an assault. There is no distinction.”
Hira said the boy just wants to play hockey.
“The young man has a passion for the game and frankly wants to develop that passion, continue playing the game, and flourish and play in a safe environment. That’s all he wants.”
I DON’T THINK THESE SORTS OF THING THAT CAUSE US CONCERN ARE RAMPANT IN HOCKEY.
Hira said he couldn’t comment on whether the family intends to appeal the suspension decision to the British Columbia Amateur Hockey Association, the governing body for amateur hockey in the province more commonly known as BC Hockey.
Petrachenko said BC Hockey will likely review how the complaint was handled and its own role in monitoring the complaints process.
He confirmed the NSWC contacted them about the situation prior to the Post’s story and the police investigation. A club official dealt with someone from BC Hockey’s ombudsman program, a collection of volunteer lawyers willing to offer advice.
Petrachenko said he does not know precisely what information the club shared with the ombudsman.
“It’s not my place to comment at this point on the decision made by people who had information at hand that I don’t have. I don’t have all of the information that people would have had in front of them; I certainly don’t have any of the information that the police are investigating,” he said.
“When things like this occur, I think it is more reflective of society than of hockey,” Petrachenko said. “I don’t think these sorts of thing that cause us concern are rampant in hockey. When something like this comes up, it’s the last thing you ever want to hear whether it happens at a school, at a hockey rink, on a sports field of any kind.”