London police chief launches internal review following Hockey Canada allegations

Hockey Canada paid $1.6M to crisis firm Navigator Hockey Canada revealed it has lost upwards of $24-million in corporate sponsorships over the sexual assault scandal.

London police announced Wednesday they are launching an internal review of their handling of a 2018 sexual assault investigation involving members of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL).

The sexual assault allegations were revealed two months ago after Hockey Canada settled a lawsuit with a woman who claimed she was sexually assaulted by eight CHL players.

The alleged assault happened in June 2018 at a London, Ont. hotel and reportedly involved members of the 2018 World Juniors hockey team.

London police closed its investigation into the allegation in February 2019, without laying criminal charges.

On Wednesday, London Police Services Chief Steve Williams issued a statement addressing the handling of the investigation.

“To ensure due diligence, given the serious nature of this allegation, I have directed that an internal review of the investigation be conducted to determine what, if any, additional investigative avenues may exist,” he said in a statement.

While the review will be initiated immediately, Williams’ cautioned there is no predetermined timeline for when the review will be completed.

“Along with our community partners, we will fully support those who come forward and we encourage anyone who has experienced sexual violence to report the incident to police so that the matter can be investigated,” he said.

Williams said further information will be released as appropriate.

Meanwhile, Hockey Canada announced earlier this month that it is reopening its investigation into the alleged assault.

A lawyer representing a group of players accused of sexually assaulting the woman said in a recent interview with TSN the players will cooperate with the investigation and that client interviews are in the process of being arranged.

The woman said she will be cooperating with the Hockey Canada investigation.

TSN also reported that in the lawsuit filed in April, court documents revealed that a woman referred to as “E.M.” alleged she was assaulted in a London hotel room following a Hockey Canada event. She alleges the players pressured her to shower and to then record a statement claiming she was sober and had consensual sex with the players. She also claims the players pressured her to not file a criminal complaint or cooperate with any investigation.

The lawsuit was quietly settled in May, although the details of the settlement were not publicized.

Hockey Canada also announced Wednesday it will no longer use a fund maintained by membership fees to settle sexual assault claims.

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

— With files from The Canadian Press