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Police in Quebec Metropolis are reopening their investigation into an alleged group sexual assault eight years in the past involving 4 gamers with the 2014 Gatineau Olympiques, in line with the Quebec Main Junior Hockey League. 

Karl Janhke, the hockey league’s chief advertising and marketing officer, mentioned in an announcement to CBC Information that “we’ll provide our full co-operation all through the method.”

The Quebec Metropolis Police Division (SVPQ) wouldn’t verify or deny that it was reviewing the case in an announcement issued Friday to Radio-Canada.

The league announced in 2015 that police had closed the case with out laying any fees and famous that the allegations reported within the media “have been severe and that the sort of behaviour ought to at no time be trivialized.”

That is the most recent case of police in Canada re-examining their investigations within the wake of Hockey Canada’s controversy over its dealing with of group sexual assault allegations. This assessment can also be the third group sexual assault allegation involving Canadian hockey gamers between 2003 and 2018 that is at the moment below investigation by police.

The allegations within the Quebec Metropolis case contain a girl alleging she went to satisfy one of many gamers at his resort room in January 2014 and was later held down and sexually assaulted by three gamers at one time, Le Soleil newspaper reported in 2015, when it spoke to the complainant. 

One of many gamers informed her it was “an initiation,” the newspaper mentioned. The lady informed the newspaper a fourth particular person allegedly sexually assaulted her within the lavatory of the resort room. The lady’s and the gamers’ names haven’t been made public.

The allegations haven’t been confirmed in court docket.

The lady mentioned she tried suicide after changing into depressed and receiving harassing textual content messages and emails from the gamers concerned, in line with the Le Soleil report.

2nd alleged incident

The lady reported her allegations to Trois-Rivières police after studying about one other alleged incident involving Gatineau Olympiques gamers in February 2014 at a Boston Pizza restaurant in Gatineau. 

Gatineau police introduced in April 2015 that no legal fees can be laid after internally investigating media reviews about allegations of a “public intercourse act” allegedly involving a number of gamers and an intoxicated lady within the washroom of the restaurant on Boulevard des Grives. 

Janhke mentioned his understanding is that the Quebec Metropolis police should not contemplating wanting into public intercourse act allegations on the restaurant.

TSN first reported that police in Quebec Metropolis need to re-examine their investigation into the alleged group sexual assault involving 4 gamers in 2014 after chatting with Sébastien Lemire, the Bloc Québécois sports activities critic.

In an announcement to Radio-Canada, Lemire mentioned he requested the commissioner of the QMJHL, Gilles Courteau, concerning the alleged incident in 2014 in Quebec Metropolis and was informed if police reopened the investigation the league would co-operate. 

“There was a earlier investigation into this matter,” mentioned Courteau at a parliamentary committee on July 27. “Nevertheless, if the police service expresses curiosity in reopening this investigation, we will definitely co‑function with the investigation.”

Lemire wrote in French he informed police about this remark and obtained acknowledgement from police that it had been despatched to the investigator in cost to think about. 

Parliamentary committee taking a look at Hockey Canada

The parliamentary committee is probing Hockey Canada’s dealing with of a 2018 group sexual assault allegation involving eight Canadian Hockey League gamers, together with some members of the 2018 world junior workforce.

The lady filed a lawsuit in April that additionally alleges the gamers pressured her to not report the allegations or co-operate with a police investigation.

Hockey Canada’s board of administrators accepted a settlement of as much as $3.5 million and paid for it utilizing a fund partly made up of gamers’ registration charges. 

London police closed the investigation into the 2018 allegations in February 2019 with out laying any legal fees.

Following an eruption of public outrage, London’s police chief announced last week that the power would conduct an inner assessment to “decide what, if any, extra investigative avenues exist.”

Police in Halifax have additionally opened an investigation into an allegation of a separate group sexual assault involving hockey gamers in 2003.

TSN reported {that a} supply contacted Conservative MP John Nater and described a video exhibiting about six gamers who have been with Canada’s world junior workforce on the time having intercourse with a girl who was non-responsive and mendacity face up on a pool desk.

Hockey Canada has come below intense public scrutiny and has launched a plan to overtake “poisonous behaviour” on and off the ice. MPs from a number of events are persevering with to name on Hockey Canada’s management to resign. The Minister of Sport Pascale St-Onge is looking for an overhaul of the board of administrators.

The chair of the parliamentary committee probing Hockey Canada’s dealing with of sexual misconduct mentioned there are excellent witnesses they wish to hear from. A date for the subsequent assembly has not been scheduled.

Have a narrative or information tip concerning the Hockey Canada scandal? Confidentially e mail ashley.burke@cbc.ca