Canucks owner's estranged children say he beat and psychologically abused them, court hears

Four adult children of Vancouver Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini have all alleged that he physically and psychologically abused them when they were young, a B.C. Supreme Court judge heard Tuesday.

The disturbing allegations came to light during a hearing over whether Aquilini is obliged to continue paying child support and covering university expenses for three of his children. They include claims he beat a sleeping child and threw a five-year-old across a bedroom.

Aquilini has denied the allegations of abuse, the court heard.

Tuesday's hearing concerned an application from his ex-wife, psychotherapist Tali'ah Aquilini, seeking an order saying the three youngest remain "children of the marriage," according to the settlement agreement.

That would compel Francesco Aquilini to continue supporting his children, even though his ex-wife has been redacting the names of the universities they attend and other personal information in receipts submitted for reimbursement. She says she has made those redactions at the request of the children.

Tali'ah Aquilini's lawyer Claire Hunter read out portions of a letter the eldest Aquilini sister allegedly sent her father in March 2020 on behalf of the three younger siblings, outlining why they want their personal details withheld.

"Your relationship with us is a direct consequence of your treatment toward us, whether you'd like to acknowledge it or not. We all hold many individual accounts of your abuse towards us," she wrote.

"I would like to formally state that myself and my siblings … wish to have no contact with you, nor would we like you to have access to any of our contact, medical information or other information regarding our lives."

The eldest sibling is already considered an adult and does not need support from her father, the court heard.

Although Hunter said Francesco Aquilini has denied the abuse allegations, his lawyer Ken McEwan did not address them in court, except to say they're "irrelevant" to the matter at hand. He said the only question is whether his client has access to enough information to decide if there is a legal obligation to continue supporting the children.

McEwan said Francesco Aquilini would consent to having the unredacted receipts provided to his legal counsel without seeing them himself.

"The redactions of personal information are really a bit of a side issue to matters such as, are the children in appropriate programs for them?" McEwan told the court.

He said he needs to be able to see more information about the children's education, including whether they are regularly attending class and passing or failing, as well as justification for things like student housing, unexplained breaks from class, airline flights and a $48,000 computer.

A statement released on Aquilini's behalf, first published by the Vancouver Sun, said he is "outraged" by his ex-wife's accusations in family court and that he categorically denies ever abusing his children.