Ex-world junior hockey players' sex assault trial resumes with more video evidence expected | Breaking News and Top Canadian Stories

Ex-world junior hockey players' sex assault trial resumes with more video evidence expected — Sex assault trial of 5 ex-junior hockey players begins Phone and surveillance videos presented as evidence have shown players celebrating their world ...

Sex assault trial of 5 ex-junior hockey players begins

Phone and surveillance videos presented as evidence have shown players celebrating their world junior win at a London bar after a Hockey Canada gala in June 2018.

There’s also a focus on the complainant, something of particular interest to Shannon Moroney, a Toronto-based author, trauma therapist and survivors’ advocate.

“I'm going to be watching closely to see how the complainant on the stand is treated, and if she is subject to the typical tropes and allegations against her character that we so often see in these types of trials,” says Moroney.

“I'm also going to be watching to see on the defence side what their strategy is for this. I'm fearful that this is going to be a trial that is about pushing blame around in so many different directions that nobody actually ends up taking accountability.”

In the video footage, the players are seen dancing, drinking, mugging for the camera and in some cases chatting with the complainant, known in court as E.M.

The Crown urged the jury to keep an open mind about what sexual assault — and consent — can look like.

Too often in court, Moroney says, it can become more about poking holes in testimony and looking for technicalities than searching for the truth, “and it can feel much more like it is the complainant who is on trial than the actual accused.”

Moroney says that’s why many people don’t come forward with sexual assault allegations.

“You have to be a perfect victim on the stand.”

Good morning. I’m a writer and editor based in Kingston, Ont., and I’ll be curating your live page updates again today.

Once again, we have multiple reporters at the Ontario Court of Justice where the sexual assault trial for five former Canadian world junior hockey players continues this morning.

On Tuesday (a day plagued with technical difficulties), the jury saw surveillance video from inside Jack's bar on London’s Richmond Row.

Today, the jury is expected to hear more testimony from London police Det. Tiffany Waque about videos taken at Jack's bar and in the lobby of the Delta hotel, where E.M. and the men ended up at the end of the night.

Proceedings are expected to start around 10 a.m. ET. Stay with us as we bring the latest developments throughout the day.

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