The latest as judge acquits five hockey players in sexual assault trial

LONDON — An Ontario judge has delivered her ruling in the sexual assault trial for five former members of Canada’s world junior hockey team.

Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Callan Foote have all been found not guilty in the trial focused on an encounter that took place in a London, Ont., hotel room in the early hours of June 19, 2018.

Here’s the latest:

7:15 p.m.

Karen Bellehumeur, the complainant’s lawyer, addressed a crowd of protesters gathered in front of the London courthouse.

She says the justice system must reform to protect victims of sexual violence from “unnecessary retraumatization,” citing the complainant’s nine days on the witness stand.

Honks from passing cars were met with enthusiastic cheers as protesters embraced each other and continued to add to the “we believe survivors” sidewalk chalk display that had been created this morning.

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7:10 p.m.

Adam van Koeverden, the secretary of state for sport, says the case has sparked a national conversation about safe sport and the “problematic culture” in men’s hockey.

Van Koeverden says that since 2022, progress has been made at Hockey Canada to address “long-standing systemic failures” and that such work must continue.

He says the federal government continues to closely monitor national sport organizations and their efforts to ensure a culture of safety, respect and integrity across all sports.

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7:07 p.m.

The NHL Players’ Association says the acquitted players should have the opportunity to return to work.

It says the NHL’s declaration that the players are ineligible to play pending its analysis of the judge’s ruling is “inconsistent” with discipline procedures in their collective bargaining agreement.

The players association says it’s addressing this dispute with the league and has no further comment.

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6:15 p.m.

The NHL says the five acquitted players are ineligible to play in the league while it reviews the judge’s findings.

The NHL says in a statement the allegations in the case were disturbing, even if not determined criminal.

The league also calls the behaviour at issue “unacceptable.”

Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Dillon Dube and Callan Foote were active NHL players at the time of their 2024 arrests, which came days after all four players were granted leave from their clubs.

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4:45 p.m.

London Police Chief Thai Truong says he commends the complainant’s “outstanding courage and strength” in coming forward.

Truong says the force is committed to supporting survivors of sexual violence, as incidents often go underreported.

He says the force sees the case as an opportunity to reflect on its approach to investigating sexual violence and strengthen its police training.

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4:30 p.m.

Julianna Greenspan, a lawyer for Cal Foote, said her client never lost faith that justice would be done despite “external pressures” outside the courthouse, which she said should not influence criminal investigations and the trial process.

She said Foote has a “wonderful future” ahead of him, and he’s eager to move forward.

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4:25 p.m.

Julie Santarossa, a lawyer for Dillon Dube, said her client is relieved by the outcome.

She said he feels the judge made the decision “fairly and efficiently,” and her reasons demonstrate a strong commitment to justice.

Santarossa said Dube is hopeful everyone can move forward from the case in a positive manner.

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4:20 p.m.

Daniel Brown, a lawyer for Alex Formenton, said the judge reached “a just and correct verdict that must be respected.”

He said Formenton had a promising hockey career ahead of him before the accusations, and his client was “condemned and felt banished from society.”

Brown said the evidence has “always demonstrated” that Formenton did not commit a sexual assault.

He said the case highlights the fundamental right to be presumed innocent.

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4:12 p.m.

Megan Savard, a lawyer for Carter Hart, says the judge’s reasons were thoughtful and compassionate.

She says the result came as no surprise to people with complete knowledge of the investigation.

She criticized Crown prosecutors for bringing the case forward and subjecting the defendants, complainant and public to a “distressing and unnecessary” trial.

She says Hart has learned from the experience and plans to share what he has learned with people in his personal circle and professional life.

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4:08 p.m.

David Humphrey, a lawyer for Michael McLeod, says it was a “carefully rendered” decision that represents a “resounding vindication” for the defendants.

He says public perceptions had been shaped by a “one-sided narrative” arising from a civil lawsuit that players were not consulted on.

Humphrey says the damage to McLeod’s reputation and career have been significant but this decision begins to restore what was taken away from him.

He says players are not expected to speak to media.

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4 p.m.

Hockey Canada says the five players acquitted Thursday remain suspended from all Hockey Canada-sanctioned programming.

An independent appeal board adjourned a hearing last year into whether the players breached Hockey Canada’s code of conduct, deciding it would not proceed until the criminal trial had concluded. No new date has been set for that hearing.

The organization says it cannot comment further while the appeal process remains active.

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3:50 p.m.

Karen Bellehumeur, the complainant’s lawyer, told reporters outside the courthouse that the complainant is very disappointed with the verdict and the judge’s assessment of her honesty.

Bellehumeur said the complainant has never experienced not being believed like this before.

She said the complainant is grateful for the support she’s received, and she chose to come forward to step up for herself and others.

Bellehumeur said the justice system must do better, and although the rights of the accused are important, those protections should not come at the expense of the survivor’s well-being.

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3:40 p.m.

Prosecutor Meaghan Cunningham spoke to reporters outside the courthouse following the acquittals.

She said the Crown’s success in a trial is not measured solely by whether there are guilty verdicts at the end, and the goal was to have fair proceedings for all involved.

Cunningham thanked the complainant for coming forward and for her strength during the trial.

She added that her team has received dozens of messages of support for the complainant, which they have passed along to her.

She said her team will “carefully review” the judge’s decision and she had no further comment as the case is still within the appeal period.

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3:13 p.m.

People have begun filing out of the packed courtroom after the lengthy and turbulent sexual assault trial of five hockey players ended in acquittals for all of them.

Audience members were patting each other on the shoulders and knees as they reacted to the judge’s final ruling.

Players gave hugs as the exodus from the upper-floor courtroom began.

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3:06 p.m.

The judge has found Michael McLeod not guilty of sexual assault and not guilty of a separate charge of being a party to the offence.

She says she’s not satisfied that McLeod invited other players to his room without the knowledge of the complainant.

The judge says all the players are free to go.

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2:56 p.m.

The judge has found Dillon Dube not guilty of sexual assault.

Dube was accused of getting oral sex from the complainant without her consent and also slapping her buttocks while she was engaged in a sexual act with someone else.

The judge says the case against Dube was also not proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

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2:51 p.m.

The judge has found Callan Foote not guilty of sexual assault.

He was accused of grazing the complainant’s face with his genitals as he did the splits over her in the hotel room, but his lawyers said he was fully clothed and did not touch the woman’s body.

The judge says the splits were separate from sexual activity that took place that night and she is not satisfied that they were sexual in nature.

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2:45 p.m.

The judge has found Alex Formenton not guilty of sexual assault.

She says the Crown has failed to prove the charge against him beyond a reasonable doubt.

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2:40 p.m.

The judge has found Carter Hart not guilty of sexual assault.

She says there is reasonable doubt that the sexual activity between him and the complainant took place without her consent.

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2:18 p.m.

The judge says the complainant had a “tendency to blame others” for inconsistencies in her story, including police officers and her lawyers in the civil lawsuit.

She also says the woman went to “great lengths” to point out that she was really drunk through the course of the night, but that is not supported by surveillance video from the bar and hotel that night, and the testimony of others.

Carroccia says there were “no obvious signs of impairment” in any of the surveillance videos of the woman, and she was walking and dancing “without difficulty,” even in high heels.

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2 p.m.

The judge is going over what she says are inconsistencies and gaps in the complainant’s testimony.

She says there is concern about her reliability based on the way she answered some of the questions while on the stand, and what she said in her interviews with police.

Carroccia cites several examples, including that the complainant at one point didn’t deny a suggestion that it was easier for her to deny the choices she’d made that night.

The judge also says the complainant referred to “her truth” rather than “the truth,” which “seemingly blurs the line” between what she believes to be true and what is actually true.

The judge also says the woman did not bring up the word fear in her 2018 interviews with police and that it first came up in her civil statement of claim.

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1:57 p.m.

Court has resumed with the judge saying it has been brought to her attention that someone in an overflow room inside the courthouse has taken a photo or a video recording of a monitor showing the proceedings, which is not allowed.

The judge is asking a court officer to remove the individual from the overflow room if that person can be identified, and to notify police.

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1:34 p.m.

The judge has called another brief recess.

Before that, she noted that the court must consider both the credibility and reliability of a witness’s evidence at trial.

She also says the court must not resort to myths or stereotypes when assessing the credibility of a complainant in a sexual assault trial.

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1:16 p.m.

The judge is outlining the legal principles that apply in this case.

Carroccia says the concept of proof beyond a reasonable doubt is the cornerstone of the justice system.

She says the court must consider the totality of the evidence as it applies to each of the accused players.

The Crown must prove three essential elements of sexual assault: that there was touching, that the touching was sexual in nature and that it occurred without consent.

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12:56 p.m.

The judge is recapping some of the submissions defence lawyers presented during the trial, including the argument that the complainant created a false narrative after she regretted the choices she made that night.

Carroccia says McLeod’s lawyer argued that the consent videos taken of the complainant, as well as other evidence, show she was a willing and “active” participant in the sexual activity that night.

The judge says Hart’s lawyer argued that he was “frank” and truthful on the stand and that the complainant’s version of events cannot be trusted.

Carroccia notes the defence has argued the complainant’s testimony was inconsistent and seemed “rehearsed.”

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12:47 p.m.

The judge is recapping the Crown’s arguments and submissions in the trial.

The Crown argued that the complainant was credible and that she had no reason to fabricate the allegations that she did not voluntarily consent to the sex acts that took place in the hotel room.

The Crown also argued that the evidence of the accused players should not be accepted, as their credibility is compromised by the text conversations in the group chat that took place after the encounter.

Carroccia says the Crown argued the players’ group chat was trying to “concoct a narrative” about the complainant and what happened that night.

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12:19 p.m.

The judge is going over the testimony court heard from Carter Hart, who was the only accused player to testify in his own defence.

Court heard that McLeod texted a group chat asking if anyone wanted to be in a “three-way” and that Hart replied, “I’m in.”

Hart testified that he was drunk and his first memory of the complainant was seeing her laying naked on a sheet on the floor, masturbating.

He also testified that the woman was offering sex to the men in the room and that he briefly received oral sex from her.

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12:02 p.m.

The judge has resumed reading the reasons for her ruling after the morning recess.

She is recapping some of the testimony court heard from other hockey players who were in the hotel room at some point, but did not face any charges in the case.

Carroccia says one of those hockey players testified that the men in the room appeared to be shocked after he said the complainant offered sex.

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11:37 a.m.

The judge says she’s only halfway through reading her decision and she has called for a brief recess.

The hockey players are smiling and hugging their lawyers as they file out of court for the break.

Some in the audience are also hugging each other.

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11:17 a.m.

The judge is going over text messages between the complainant and McLeod after the encounter in the hotel room.

Court heard that McLeod had asked the woman what she could do to make the police investigation “go away.”

Carroccia notes the complainant told McLeod that reporting the encounter to police was a mistake and that she was not trying to push the case any further.

The complainant had testified that she was worried when McLeod contacted her.

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11:08 a.m.

The judge is taking note of the so-called consent videos presented as evidence in the trial.

Court was shown two short clips showing the complainant saying she was “OK” with what was happening in the hotel room and that “it was all consensual.”

Carroccia says the woman did not display any signs of intoxication in the videos and that she spoke clearly.

She notes the woman testified the videos were not a true reflection of how she was feeling that night.

The Crown has argued the videos are not proof of consent to the sexual acts that took place.

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10:45 a.m.

The judge is going over the facts of the case before she delivers her ruling on the charges against each of the players.

She is describing the details court has heard over the course of the trial, such as how the complainant met McLeod at a bar before going to his hotel room with him, and the texts she’d exchanged with a friend that night.

The judge is also recapping the complainant’s testimony about how she felt after the encounter and what happened after she got home that night.

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10:30 a.m.

Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia is telling court that the complainant in the case did not present credible testimony.

Sighs of relief can be heard in the courtroom, where family members of the accused are sitting behind defence lawyers.

She has not yet delivered a formal ruling.

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10:25 a.m.

Proceedings are underway in a packed courtroom as the judge is expected to deliver her ruling.

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9:25 a.m.

All five accused players are now inside the London, Ont., courthouse where a judge is expected to deliver her decision in their sexual assault trial later this morning.

Carter Hart was the last accused player to arrive, a little before 9:30 a.m.

Protesters outside are getting quieter after the players’ arrival, and they say they plan to be back this afternoon after the judge makes her ruling.

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9:10 a.m.

Four of five accused former hockey players are now at the courthouse to await the ruling in their case.

Dillon Dube was the first to enter, followed by Alex Formenton, both of them arriving before 9 a.m.

Michael McLeod and Callan Foote followed.

Protesters’ chanting is intensifying as each player arrives.

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8 a.m.

Supporters of the complainant in the case are gathering outside the courthouse as the line to enter grows longer.

The supporters are carrying colourful signs signalling support for survivors of sexual assault, and copies of planned chants printed on bright orange paper.

One reads: “My dress is not a yes.”

One person is writing out the word “believe” in block letters with chalk on the sidewalk.

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7 a.m.

Reporters and observers began lining up outside the London, Ont., courthouse as early as 6:15 a.m. — more than two hours before it opens.

By 7 a.m., roughly a dozen people were waiting by the entrance.

Space in the courtroom is limited, though staff have set up an overflow room where people can watch the proceedings on TV screens.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2025.

The Canadian Press