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4mo ago

Complainant Testifies in 2018 World Junior Hockey Team Sexual Assault Trial

E. M., the woman at the center of the case, describes her encounter with the accused players, alleging non-consensual acts following heavy drinking and initial consent with one defendant.

Crown Meaghan Cunningham, right, and Taylor Raddysh, depicted in video conference, are seen in a courtroom sketch in London, Ont., Wednesday, April 30, 2025. Raddysh, who currently plays in the National Hockey League, was a member of the 2018 Canadian national junior hockey team.
Image
Alex Formenton walks into court Friday past a man holding a sign in support of E.M., the complainant.
A composite image of five photographs show former members of Canada's 2018 World Juniors hockey team, left to right, Alex Formenton, Cal Foote, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube and Carter Hart as they individually arrived to court in London, Ont., Wednesday, April 30, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nicole Osborne

Overview

  • The complainant, E. M., testified via closed-circuit video, recounting heavy alcohol consumption and meeting Michael McLeod at a London bar in June 2018.
  • E. M. alleged discomfort on the chaotic dance floor, where she was surrounded and touched by McLeod and his hockey teammates before leaving with him to his hotel room.
  • Prosecutors argue that while E. M. initially consented to sex with McLeod, she did not consent to subsequent acts involving other players invited into the room.
  • Former teammates Taylor Raddysh and Boris Katchouk testified they briefly entered McLeod’s room, saw E. M. under the covers, and left without engaging in any sexual activity.
  • The trial has introduced video and text evidence from McLeod’s phone, including videos of E. M. appearing to consent, which are central to the debate over contemporaneous consent.