Content warning: This story contains discussions of sexual assault.
London, Ontario police have ordered the surrender of five members of the 2018 Canadian World Juniors team, according to a report from The Globe and Mail released Wednesday. The pending charges relate to an alleged sexual assault in June 2018 involving multiple players from the team.
Per The Globe and Mail, the players have not yet been charged and have been given an unknown amount of time to surrender. London police reopened their investigation into the matter in July 2022, filing a court document later that year stating they had reasonable grounds to believe five players committed sexual assault against a woman in a hotel room.
Wednesday afternoon, the London Police Service announced they plan to hold a press conference on February 5 offering details related to “a sexual assault investigation dating back to 2018” but declined to provide additional comment at this time.
News of the alleged assault attracted widespread attention beginning in May 2022, when TSN’s Rick Westhead reported that Hockey Canada had quietly settled a lawsuit with the woman, identified in court documents as “E.M.” Hockey Canada, who re-opened their investigation after the TSN report, faced significant criticism for their handling of the event, culminating in a series of Canadian parliamentary hearings and the ultimate resignation of their board of directors and chief executive officer.
The NHL launched their own investigation into the lawsuit soon after the story went public. At the time, commissioner Gary Bettman emphasized transparency and said that the NHL planned to release their findings once the investigation was complete; the league has yet to do so.
If you or someone you know is in need of support, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network has compiled a list of resources for survivors of sexual assault and their loved ones.
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