Former Canuck Virtanen denies charge in testimony
VANCOUVER — Testimony has ended within the trial of a former Vancouver Canucks ahead charged with sexual assault.
Jake Virtanen advised a B.C. Supreme Courtroom on Friday {that a} lady who has accused him of sexual assault was a prepared participant in a sexual encounter practically 5 years in the past.
Defence lawyer Colleen Elden requested the previous NHL participant whether or not he sexually assaulted the girl, whose id is roofed by a publication ban, at his resort room in downtown Vancouver in September 2017.
“No, I didn’t sexually assault her,” he replied. “She was an lively, equal and enthusiastic participant.”
Virtanen, 25, was charged with one depend of sexual assault in January following an investigation by Vancouver police.
The 23-year-old lady has testified that she repeatedly mentioned no earlier than the alleged assault.
The court docket has heard Virtanen and the girl met on the Calgary Stampede in July 2017. They exchanged numbers and saved in contact through textual content and direct messages on Instagram.
The girl was 18 years outdated when she drove to Vancouver that September to go to household and pals, and do a photograph shoot. She and Virtanen, then 21, made plans to satisfy. He picked her up from her pal’s home and took her to his resort room.
Below cross-examination on Friday, Crown counsel Alan Ip mentioned Virtanen solely took the girl to the resort to have intercourse together with her.
“That was your intention all alongside — asking her to hang around, choosing her up, going to your resort room — it was for intercourse,” Ip mentioned.
“No,” Virtanen replied.
Ip requested whether or not the pair talked about intercourse, condoms, contraception or sexually transmitted infections earlier than attending to the resort room. Virtanen mentioned they didn’t.
“You had no concept what she wished that night time,” Ip mentioned.
“She wished to hook up with me,” Virtanen replied. “Feeling my physique, rubbing my penis. I really feel like that’s very apparent that she needs to hook up.”
Ip requested whether or not the girl ever verbally consented to having intercourse.
“She confirmed me by her actions,” Virtanen mentioned.
The girl has testified that she repeatedly mentioned “no” and advised Virtanen she didn’t wish to have intercourse with him earlier than he allegedly pinned her to the mattress together with his physique weight and assaulted her.
“You used (her) to your sexual gratification regardless of her repeatedly, repeatedly, repeatedly telling you she didn’t wish to have intercourse with you,” Ip mentioned as he completed his questioning.
“No,” Virtanen replied.
The girl didn’t go to police on the time.
In April 2021, she posted her story to an Instagram web page for survivors of sexual assault, then spoke with a reporter from Glacier Media for a newspaper story, naming Virtanen as the person who allegedly sexually assaulted her.
He was taking part in proper wing for the Canucks on the time and first realized of the allegations when his agent referred to as after a recreation towards the Maple Leafs in Toronto.
“I used to be nonetheless in my fitness center stuff,” he mentioned on the stand Friday. “I simply sat there and I simply tried to gather my ideas. I didn’t say something actually.”
Virtanen mentioned after the allegations surfaced, then-Canucks normal supervisor Jim Benning advised him to remain in his Toronto resort room and never come out. Over the following two days, he was involved with Benning, then-head coach Travis Inexperienced and a few teammates, however did not play or observe with the workforce.
“What was going by your thoughts as you sat in that resort room for 2 days?” Elden requested.
“I simply didn’t actually know what to suppose. And stared out the window,” he replied, rising emotional and wiping his eyes with a tissue.
The Canucks positioned Virtanen on depart in Could 2021 after the assault allegation, then purchased out his contract the next month.
He final performed within the Russian-based Kontinental Hockey League.
The defence and Crown are anticipated to submit their closing submissions on Monday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed July 22, 2022.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
