Hockey player Noah Corson was found guilty this morning of the gang rape of a teenage girl, for which two of his minor friends had already been convicted, since he did not take reasonable measures to ensure her age of the victim as of fall 2016.
• Read also: Collective rape by three hockey players: Noah Corson believed he had the teenager’s consent
• Read also: Gang rape by hockey players: Noah Corson allegedly participated in the sexual assault of a teenager, according to one of the accused
“At no time did the accused ask any questions to [son ami ou à la victime] as for his age, his educational level. […] The court concludes that he did not take all reasonable measures in the circumstances,” ruled Judge Paul Dunnigan at the Drummondville courthouse.
The magistrate then found Noah-Lee Jetté Corson, his full name, guilty of sexual assault with the participation of third parties. The latter left the courtroom quickly, hand in hand with his mother. Sitting a few benches away, the victim, who was accompanied by relatives, breathed a sigh of relief.
After an evening at La Cage–Brasserie sportive in the fall of 2016, the three hockey players went to the home of a teenage girl, where they sexually assaulted her in her bedroom. The young men were looking to “see girls to have pleasure, to have fun,” according to the testimony of one of them at Corson’s trial, held in November.
Age in dispute
The victim was 15 years old at the time. She only knew one of the minor hockey players, since she had seen him a few months before.
The age of the teenager was thus at the heart of the debate, since she could not consent to the group sexual act, according to the law. Corson was 18 years old at the time of the events and he played for the Voltigeurs in the Maritimes Quebec Junior Hockey League.
“He based his belief that she was 18 on the fact that she was comfortable talking about sex, that she had used the Tinder app, that she went out to bars and drank alcohol,” detailed Judge Dunnigan.
Corson, who had never met the teen before, said he believed he was at the victim’s apartment that evening, although he never asked about it. Instead, she lived with her mother.
“What he thought he knew about her was essentially what his friend [mineur lui-même] had told him at the restaurant while chatting between boys», noted the magistrate.
Remember that his two minor friends received 18 months of probation with follow-up before the youth court. Thus, it is prohibited to name them because of their age.
One of them still plays hockey in a semi-professional league. The other, who is now studying at university, gave a lip service at the trial about how Corson entered the room, undressed and penetrated the minor without ever asking her consent.
Photo Erika Aubin
In tears
After the attack, the teenager came out of her room in tears, again according to the witness. He even felt the need to apologize. The victim also confided that she lay naked and in tears in her bed when the young men left her residence: “I was destabilized, lost. I was trying to understand how this could have happened,” she said.
The testimonies of the accused and the complainant differed on several points, but the judge did not have to analyze their credibility to render his verdict.
“It sends the message that it’s worth reporting. Even if our memories, our memories are perhaps not optimal, in the end, she was believed,” insisted the Crown prosecutor, Mr.e Marc-André Roy.
The defense lawyer said his client disagreed with the verdict: “We will analyze all of this and make a decision to see if we will appeal,” said M.e Jasmine Laperle.
Noah Corson, the son of ex-Canadian player Shayne Corson, announced he was taking a break from professional hockey when the accusation against him was revealed in the media. He then played for the Adirondack Thunder, in the United States, in the ECHL minor professional league.