Former Western University hockey player at centre of latest London, Ont., sexual assault review
The London Police Service (LPS) in Ontario has started an internal review of a sex‐ ual assault case involving two hockey players, one of whom continues to play for the Strathroy Jets.
Police Chief Steve Williams said in a statement Friday that the allegations are relat‐ ed to two incidents in March 2018, and due to media inter‐ est, he has ordered the re‐ view.
TSN reported Thurs‐ day that the complainant in this case alleged she was as‐ saulted by a then Western University hockey player. CBC News has confirmed through court documents that a play‐ er on the team was charged with sexual assault dating back to that time.
Those charges were with‐ drawn, but a peace bond was issued in June 2020 requiring him not to communicate or be near the complainant, a fact Williams confirmed.
CBC News contacted the player, who declined to com‐ ment. CBC is not naming him in order to protect the identi‐ ty of the complainant, who has also not been reached for comment.
The chief said charges were not laid in the second al‐ legation of sexual assault, which involved the same complainant but a different man.
"In all sexual assault inves‐ tigations, the London Police Service utilizes a victim-cen‐ tred, trauma-informed ap‐ proach which respects the wishes of complainants," Williams said. "In all cases ex‐ cept those dealing with inti‐ mate partners, victims are giv‐ en the choice as to whether they wish to proceed with charges or not."
Latest case unrelated to London gala
This is the second time in three months that the LPS has undertaken a review of a case involving hockey players. In July, it announced it was reexamining allegations of sexual assault involving members of the 2018 world junior hockey team who attended a Hockey Canada gala in London.
That case was initially
closed without charges, and has led to led to a massive reexamination of hockey cul‐ ture in Canada and the subse‐ quent resignation of the en‐ tire governing board and the chief executive officer.
The March 2018 case involves a different victim and none of the players from the junior team. The com‐ plainant told TSN that she was at the London home of the Western University player when she was sexually as‐ saulted and then humiliated in front of his friends.
CBC News contacted King's University College, a Western University affiliate where the player was a stu‐ dent, and was told no one was available to comment on "code investigations" or com‐ plaints. TSN reported the school suspended the player for 18 months and removed him from the team.
The player was not playing on Western's team during the 2019-2020 season and there's no indication he graduat‐ ed. He has gone on to play for the Jets, which is in the West‐ ern Ontario Super Hockey League.