London Police Service (LPS) Chief Thai Truong personally apologized to the victim and her family after a nearly six-year delay in pressing sexual assault charges against five NHL players. LPS held a press conference Monday afternoon to address the charges recently laid against the players for alleged sexual assault crimes in 2018. The case was closed in February 2019. Though LPS investigated, no charges were laid at the time. The case was reopened in July 2022, after a review of the initial investigation was conducted. The five young players were on the gold medal-winning Canadian World Junior hockey team playing at the 2018 championships. Each of them has been charged with sexual assault and one charged with an additional count of “being a party to the offence,” for events surrounding one female victim in a hotel room at a Hockey Canada fundraising gala in London, ON.Calgary Flames forward Dillon Dube, 25, New Jersey Devils defenceman Cal Foote, 25, (son of former Colorado Avalanche star Adam Foote), Ottawa Senators draft pick and European professional player Alex Formenton, 24, Alberta native and Philadelphia Flyers goalie Carter Hart, 25, and New Jersey Devils centreman Michael McLeod of Mississauga, 25, have all been charged with sexual assault. McLeod has the additional charge. Their first appearance in court was Monday, with attorneys representing all five players, who surrendered to London police last week, pleading not guilty to the allegations. The next hearing is scheduled for April 30. Prosecutor Heather Donkers said defence counsel can expect “substantial” evidence in the coming days. At the press conference, Truong and Det-Sgt. Katherine Dann of the LPS sexual assault and child abuse unit declined to answer a litany of questions due to fear of compromising the “ongoing investigation” into a case “currently before the courts.”“I know there are questions regarding the initial investigations and the findings of the 2022 (police investigation) review,” Truong said. “As the chief of police, while I am committed to transparency and accountability, I must ensure I don’t compromise the judicial process. There is a time to disclose those answers. That time is not now.”“My sincerest apology to the victim, to her family, for the amount of time it has taken to reach this point,” the police chief said, commending the complainant’s “courage and incredible strength.”The victim’s real name was not given, but is referred to as ‘E.M.,’ and she was the one who filed the accusation. .Though he was pressed on who bears the responsibility for the delay (since 2018), Truong said “there’s a time and there’s a place, and I truly cannot answer that question.” He did confirm investigators that were part of the initial investigation are not taking part any longer, though did not give details as to why. Dann, who led the 2022 reopening of the investigation, said there were “additional steps that could be taken to advance the investigation,” but refused to give any details due to the case being before the courts. Dann read a statement from E.M.’s counsel, Karen Bellehumeur. “She remains committed to see this process through,” the statement said. “We simply ask that media and others respect her privacy and her dignity as this matter proceeds through the court process.”
London Police Service (LPS) Chief Thai Truong personally apologized to the victim and her family after a nearly six-year delay in pressing sexual assault charges against five NHL players. LPS held a press conference Monday afternoon to address the charges recently laid against the players for alleged sexual assault crimes in 2018. The case was closed in February 2019. Though LPS investigated, no charges were laid at the time. The case was reopened in July 2022, after a review of the initial investigation was conducted. The five young players were on the gold medal-winning Canadian World Junior hockey team playing at the 2018 championships. Each of them has been charged with sexual assault and one charged with an additional count of “being a party to the offence,” for events surrounding one female victim in a hotel room at a Hockey Canada fundraising gala in London, ON.Calgary Flames forward Dillon Dube, 25, New Jersey Devils defenceman Cal Foote, 25, (son of former Colorado Avalanche star Adam Foote), Ottawa Senators draft pick and European professional player Alex Formenton, 24, Alberta native and Philadelphia Flyers goalie Carter Hart, 25, and New Jersey Devils centreman Michael McLeod of Mississauga, 25, have all been charged with sexual assault. McLeod has the additional charge. Their first appearance in court was Monday, with attorneys representing all five players, who surrendered to London police last week, pleading not guilty to the allegations. The next hearing is scheduled for April 30. Prosecutor Heather Donkers said defence counsel can expect “substantial” evidence in the coming days. At the press conference, Truong and Det-Sgt. Katherine Dann of the LPS sexual assault and child abuse unit declined to answer a litany of questions due to fear of compromising the “ongoing investigation” into a case “currently before the courts.”“I know there are questions regarding the initial investigations and the findings of the 2022 (police investigation) review,” Truong said. “As the chief of police, while I am committed to transparency and accountability, I must ensure I don’t compromise the judicial process. There is a time to disclose those answers. That time is not now.”“My sincerest apology to the victim, to her family, for the amount of time it has taken to reach this point,” the police chief said, commending the complainant’s “courage and incredible strength.”The victim’s real name was not given, but is referred to as ‘E.M.,’ and she was the one who filed the accusation. .Though he was pressed on who bears the responsibility for the delay (since 2018), Truong said “there’s a time and there’s a place, and I truly cannot answer that question.” He did confirm investigators that were part of the initial investigation are not taking part any longer, though did not give details as to why. Dann, who led the 2022 reopening of the investigation, said there were “additional steps that could be taken to advance the investigation,” but refused to give any details due to the case being before the courts. Dann read a statement from E.M.’s counsel, Karen Bellehumeur. “She remains committed to see this process through,” the statement said. “We simply ask that media and others respect her privacy and her dignity as this matter proceeds through the court process.”
