London, Ontario police officially held their press conference regarding the ongoing investigation into five former members of Canada's World Juniors team.
London, Ontario police officially held their press conference regarding the ongoing investigation into five former members of Canada's World Juniors team.
After a whirlwind week of players taking indefinite leaves of absence, receiving confirmation that five members of Canada's 2018 World Juniors team were being asked to surrender, and the five players being officially named for the first time, London police have held their first press conference regarding the ongoing sexual assault investigation on Feb. 5.
This press conference was held to give the public updates on the investigation from the police themselves, seemingly in response to widespread public speculation regarding the case.
Chief Thai Truong and Detective Sergeant Katherine Dann delivered the London police's statements, and were the representatives to answer reporter's questions.
Chief Truong confirmed that there was a review of the initial investigation was ordered in July 2022, and this review is what brought on the charges that are now before the court.
The initial investigation was conducted from June 2018 to February 2019, and "concluded without any charges due to insufficient evidence" at the time. However, new evidence came to light, triggering the re-opening of the case. Both Chief Truong and Detective Sergeant Dann emphasized that this is all part of one investigation, not two separate ones. The police chief also directed an apology to the victim (who specifically asked to be referred to as "the victim"), saying, "My sincerest apology to the victim and her family for the amount of time it has taken to get to this point."
The charges of the five players were also confirmed: Michael McLeod (2 counts of sexual assault), Alex Formenton (1 count of sexual assault), Carter Hart (1 count of sexual assault), Dillon Dube (1 count of sexual assault), and Cal Foote (1 count of sexual assault). These players made their first court appearance the morning of Feb. 5.
Although it was emphasized multiple times throughout the press conference that limited details can be provided at this time due to the case officially being before the courts, Chief Truong said that he will be doing his best to provide "transparency and accountability without compromising the legal process."
Sergeant Detective Dann confirmed the story of the assault that has been widely reported. The five players being accused were in the area to celebrate their gold medal win at the 2018 World Junior Championship, and met the victim at a downtown London bar called Jack's. They then brought her back to a hotel room, where the assault took place. The victim provided an official statement within days of her initial reporting of the assault and has fully cooperated with the investigation since it first commenced in 2018.
The victim's legal representation provided a statement to be read at the press conference: "We simply ask that the media and others respect [the victim's] privacy and her dignity."
Related: Carter Hart to Be Charged in Sexual Assault Case