Quebec Hockey League aware of sexual assault allegations against two former players

[ad_1]

Hockey culture must change, Canada’s sport minister said on Tuesday, amid reports that two former Quebec Major Junior Hockey League players have been charged with sexual assault.

Everyone involved in hockey – including teams, parents and provincial associations – must do more to prevent sexual violence, Pascale St-Onge told reporters in Ottawa.

His comments came shortly after Radio-Canada first reported that two former QMJHL players and another young man were charged with sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in 2016 in Drummondville, Utah. Quebec, about 100 kilometers northwest of Montreal.

“It’s horrifying every time we hear these stories,” St-Onge said. “These are not stories we like to hear, but I think everyone also understands that it’s not anecdotal and that it’s really part of an ingrained culture in the hockey world.

Read more: Hockey Canada proposes 9 new names to fill board vacancies following sexual assault scandal

Read more

Hockey Canada proposes 9 new names to fill vacant board following sexual assault scandal

The story continues under the ad

Gamers need more education about consent and healthy sexual lifestyles, she added.

trendy now

Subaru recalls nearly 14,000 vehicles in Canada due to potential fire hazard

Secret 2020 Privy Council Office memo revealed ‘active network of foreign interference’ in 2019 election

trendy now

Subaru recalls nearly 14,000 vehicles in Canada due to potential fire hazard

Elon Musk is no longer the richest person in the world according to Forbes

The QMJHL said Tuesday it only recently learned of the alleged 2016 assault involving two former Drummondville Voltigeurs players and another young man, adding the league will cooperate with the legal process and any further police investigation.

“Our first thoughts are with the alleged victim, and we remain very sensitive to his situation,” the league said in a statement. “It explains why the league will continue to fulfill its essential mission of raising awareness and educating its players about sexual misconduct and its consequences.”

Radio-Canada said two of the defendants – who were minors at the time of the incident and cannot be named – pleaded guilty in youth court to sexual assault. The broadcaster said the third accused, former Voltigeurs player Noah Corson, is due back in court in Drummondville in June.

READ MORE: Over 900 instances of on-ice discrimination occurred last season, Hockey Canada says

Asked about the allegations, Corson’s agent Nick Riopel said he would not comment on it, citing ongoing legal proceedings.

The Quebec prosecutor’s office and Corson’s current team, the Adirondack Thunder, did not immediately return a request for comment. Corson is the son of former Montreal Canadiens player Shayne Corson.

© 2022 The Canadian Press

[ad_2]