Why police aren't likely to give details any time soon in the world junior hockey sex assault case
CBC
WARNING: This article contains graphic content and may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it.
During a highly anticipated news conference on Monday, the chief of the London Police Service and a detective with the department's sexual assault section took questions from reporters covering the sexual assault case against five members of Canada's 2018 world junior hockey team.
For 31 minutes and 45 seconds, they faced questions on the evidence in the case, the details of an initial investigation that was closed without charges in 2019, and the fate of remaining players who were implicated in a civil lawsuit but not charged in the criminal case.
The officers gave reporters slightly different versions of the same answer 21 times — roughly once every 90 seconds.
"I can't disclose details of that."
"I'm not going to comment on that."
"I can't provide any specifics."
As the question-and-answer session in London, Ont., continued with many of the former and few of the latter, Chief Thai Truong acknowledged the frustration in the room.
"I appreciate that question, I really do, but I have to tell you, I cannot answer ... it's completely inappropriate for me to talk about those details at this time," he told one reporter.
Legal and communications experts who spoke to CBC News said it is understandable that the public has developed a strong appetite for details about active police investigations — especially high-profile cases like the one involving the hockey players — but note that police in Canada err on the side of caution when it comes to releasing information to protect the integrity of the court process.
"If that means that the general public has to wait a little bit for a full airing of this, that is not perfect. But it's far better than the alternative, which is compromising the fairness of the trial," said David Butt, a Toronto criminal lawyer who is not connected to the case.
Truong addressed the media hours after lawyers for the five hockey players appeared in court on their behalf via video link on Monday. Michael McLeod, Cal Foote, Dillon Dubé and Carter Hart, who all play in the NHL, and Alex Formenton, who plays hockey in Switzerland, face charges of sexual assault. McLeod faces an additional charge of being party to an offence.
All five have denied wrongdoing and have taken leaves from their respective teams.
The charges stem from an alleged sexual assault at London's Delta Armouries Hotel following a Hockey Canada gala in June 2018, when the players were honoured for their victory at the world junior hockey championship.
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