Quebec junior hockey player Noah Corson’s sex assault sentence a ‘wake up call’ to young men, advocate says

Noah Corson’s jail sentence for sexually assaulting a minor should serve as a stark reminder of the need for young men to understand consent and the law, an advocate says.

Warning: This story contains sensitive subject matter. Discretion is advised.

The recent sentencing of a Quebec junior hockey player has renewed calls for young men to better understand consent, says a sexual assault advocate.

On Monday, former Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) player Noah Corson was sentenced to two years less a day in jail for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl during group sex involving two other players.

Corson, the son of former Montreal Canadiens player Shayne Corson, received his sentence in Drummondville, Que., from Judge Paul Dunnigan.

The assault happened in 2016, in Drummondville, with two other players who were both then 17-year-old minors. They both pleaded guilty in youth court and their identities are protected by a publication ban. Corson, now 27, was 18 at the time and played with the Drummondville Voltigeurs. Corson had testified he believed the girl was at least 16.

Dunnigan based his ruling not on the victim’s claim that she did not consent to the group sex, but on Corson’s failure to take reasonable steps to confirm the age of the victim, whose identity is also protected.

In an interview with Global News on Thursday, sexual assault and exploitation advocate Jennie-Laure Sully with CLES, said, “She was underage, she did not have the legal age of consent, so consent was not possible. It was his responsibility to check her age. Mistake number one is to presume.”

The Criminal Code says a person must be at least 16 years old to consent to sex, though there is an exception for 14- and 15-year-olds when their sexual partner is less than five years older than them.