‘Hard for anyone’ to trust Hockey Canada amid handling of sex assault claims: Trudeau – National
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says it’s “onerous for anybody” within the nation to have belief in Hockey Canada because the group faces scrutiny for its dealing with of alleged sexual assault circumstances and the general tradition throughout the sport.
Talking on Bowen Island, B.C., on Tuesday, Trudeau was reacting to revelations from the day earlier than that Hockey Canada has maintained a fund to pay for uninsured liabilities, together with sexual abuse claims.
“I feel it’s onerous for anybody in Canada to have religion or belief in anybody at Hockey Canada,” the prime minister mentioned, calling information of the reserve fund “unacceptable.”
“A couple of years in the past, I had my son in hockey. And after I take into consideration the tradition that’s apparently permeating the very best orders of that group, I can perceive why so many Canadians who take such pleasure in our nationwide winter sport are completely disgusted by what’s occurring.”
The game’s nationwide physique has been beneath intense scrutiny since information of an alleged sexual assault of a lady following a 2018 gala in London, Ont., involving eight unidentified gamers — together with members of that 12 months’s world junior staff — and subsequent settlement broke in Could.
Not one of the allegations have been confirmed in court docket.
Hockey Canada final week mentioned it was reopening an unbiased investigation into the alleged incident, after the group’s president and COO Scott Smith and outgoing CEO Tom Renney instructed the parliamentary committee on Canadian heritage final month that gamers from the staff have been inspired — however not required — to cooperate with investigators.
Smith testified “12 or 13” of the 19 gamers on the gala have been interviewed earlier than the unique and incomplete investigation concluded in September 2020. That got here after an earlier assertion from Renney that solely 4 to 6 gamers cooperated.
Following that testimony, World Information reached out to the brokers for all gamers on the 2018 Hockey Canada roster asking whether or not every participant had participated within the unbiased probe, and whether or not they have been concerned within the alleged sexual assault.
Of the 22 gamers on the publicly-available roster, eight responded to World Information’ requests or have issued public statements to disclaim they have been concerned within the alleged incident. A lawyer for six different gamers and the agent for a seventh denied wrongdoing whereas additionally alleging naming the gamers within the context of the story can be defamatory.
Six extra gamers didn’t reply to World Information’ request for remark, whereas one other declined to remark by way of his agent.
Hockey Canada mentioned Thursday that it is going to be obligatory for all gamers to take part within the reopened investigation, including anybody who declines will likely be banned from all the federation’s actions and applications efficient instantly.
A lawyer for the lady who made the assault allegation instructed World Information in an e mail final week his consumer, who didn’t participate within the preliminary probe or converse with police, “will likely be taking part within the Hockey Canada investigation and won’t be commenting to media right now.”
The federal authorities has frozen funding to the group pending what Trudeau on Tuesday mentioned have been “important reforms and transparency and accountability.” A lot of high-profile sponsors, together with Tim Hortons, Esso and Canadian Tire, have additionally suspended their assist.
“Actually, as a authorities, we’ll proceed to be unequivocal in our condemnation of what we’re studying, and largely in our calls for that issues change considerably,” Trudeau instructed reporters.
The element of Hockey Canada’s reserve fund for sexual abuse claims and different “uninsured liabilities” was included in a July 2021 affidavit sworn by Glen McCurdie, who was then Hockey Canada’s vice-president of insurance coverage and danger administration, as a part of a lawsuit launched by an injured participant in Ontario.
In her civil swimsuit, which was settled in Could, the alleged sufferer was looking for $3.5 million in damages from Hockey Canada, the Canadian Hockey League and the unnamed gamers.
Particulars of the settlement haven’t been made public, however Smith testified to parliamentarians final month Hockey Canada liquidated a portion of its investments to pay for the settlement, including that no public cash was used.
Minister of Sport Pascal St-Onge ordered an audit to make it possible for’s certainly the case.
The NHL can be conducting an investigation as a result of among the gamers are within the league, however isn’t making participation obligatory.
The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage is about to satisfy Tuesday and Wednesday subsequent week to listen to from an extended listing of witnesses, together with McCurdie.
—With recordsdata from World Information’ Amanda Connolly and the Canadian Press
