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Vancouver Canucks forward Jake Virtanen has said the alleged sex in 2017 was consensual, court documents show.
Vancouver Canucks player Jake Virtanen has responded in civil court to an allegation of sexual misconduct.
In court documents obtained by Glacier Media, Virtanen says the two men had “consensual sex.”
Glacier Media spoke to the woman who made the allegation in an exclusive interview in April. For reasons of confidentiality and for fear of negative reactions for speaking, she will be referred to as “Emily”.
She filed a civil lawsuit against Virtanen in May, as well as a report to the Vancouver Police Department. His name is also protected in the civil suit.
The Vancouver Canucks took Virtanen on leave in April after the sexual misconduct allegation surfaced online. The team has made public that it is conducting an independent investigation.
In court documents, Virtanen says he and the plaintiff exchanged messages via text and social media.
“Mr. Virtanen and the complainant made an appointment one evening in September 2017 in Vancouver after the complainant told Mr. Virtanen she was going to be in town,” a court document read.
According to Emily’s trial, the two agreed to meet and Virtanen reportedly picked her up and drove her to a Vancouver hotel where the team was staying.
Her civil complaint alleges that as they entered the room, “Virtanen approached behind the complainant and started kissing her on the neck and putting his hands all over her body. The complainant allegedly shrugged his shoulders to Virtanen.
In Virtanen’s response to the amended civil action notice filed on June 1, “During that evening, Mr. Virtanen and the plaintiff had consensual sex.”
Emily’s civil complaint alleges that Virtanen “became more persistent in her attempt to have sex with the complainant” and that she told Virtanen “no”.
His lawsuit alleges that “Virtanen’s actions were reckless, arrogant, bossy, abusive and show complete disregard for the wishes of the plaintiff.” Emily also claims she suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, nightmares, insomnia and nervous shock as a result of the alleged incident, court records show.
Virtanen denies the allegations “about what happened that evening”, adding “that he did not physically force the complainant to have sex with him”.
In her filed response, Virtanen “denies that the Complainant expressed any indication, verbal or physical, that she did not want to engage in any sexual activity”.
Adding that “the complainant, by her words and her conduct, indicated that she had consented to the sexual activity which had occurred”.
Virtanen seeks special costs against the plaintiff.
None of these claims have been tested or proven in court, and Virtanen has previously denied Glacier Media’s attempts to comment, which is its right.
Vancouver Police confirm that the investigation into the alleged incident is ongoing.
“Investigations take time and we cannot discuss specific steps along the way,” says Simi Heer of VPD.
The Vancouver Canucks say their investigation is also ongoing and they don’t have a specific timeline to complete it.
“We can also confirm that we have changed independent investigators,” said Chris Brumwell, a spokesperson for the Canucks. “An internal investigative team requires both strong investigative and legal elements. Although the original firm we retained had significant experience in legal matters of this nature, we decided to make a change when the opportunity arose to involve a more experienced investigator on the team.
Brumwell adds that his current team includes Valerie Harrison, a retired Vancouver Police Inspector with extensive experience investigating allegations of sexual misconduct.
“We have also been in contact and are cooperating with the Vancouver Police Department who are conducting their own investigation,” he said.
Glacier Media has contacted Virtanen for a response and has yet to receive a response.
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