Virtanen sex assault trial: Former Canuck denies allegations

VANCOUVER –

Testimony has ended within the trial of a former Vancouver Canucks ahead charged with sexual assault.

Jake Virtanen informed a B.C. Supreme Courtroom on Friday {that a} lady who has accused him of sexual assault was a keen 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 rely of sexual assault in January following an investigation by Vancouver police.

The 23-year-old lady has testified that she repeatedly stated 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 stored in contact through textual content and direct messages on Instagram.

The lady was 18 years outdated when she drove to Vancouver that September to go to household and mates, and do a photograph shoot. She and Virtanen, then 21, made plans to fulfill. He picked her up from her pal’s home and took her to his resort room.

Underneath cross-examination on Friday, Crown counsel Alan Ip stated 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, selecting her up, going to your resort room – it was for intercourse,” Ip stated.

“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 stated they didn’t.

“You had no concept what she wished that night time,” Ip stated.

“She wished to hook up with me,” Virtanen replied. “Feeling my physique, rubbing my penis. I really feel like that is 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 means of her actions,” Virtanen stated.

The lady has testified that she repeatedly stated “no” and informed 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) in your sexual gratification regardless of her repeatedly, repeatedly, repeatedly telling you she didn’t wish to have intercourse with you,” Ip stated as he completed his questioning.

“No,” Virtanen replied.

The lady 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 enjoying proper wing for the Canucks on the time and first realized of the allegations when his agent known as after a sport in opposition to the Maple Leafs in Toronto.

“I used to be nonetheless in my health club stuff,” he stated on the stand Friday. “I simply sat there and I simply tried to gather my ideas. I did not say something actually.”

Virtanen stated after the allegations surfaced, then-Canucks normal supervisor Jim Benning informed him to remain in his Toronto resort room and never come out. Over the subsequent two days, he was in touch with Benning, then-head coach Travis Inexperienced and a few teammates, however did not play or observe with the staff.

“What was going by means of your thoughts as you sat in that resort room for 2 days?” Elden requested.

“I simply did not 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 go away 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 revealed July 22, 2022.