Justin Trudeau says Hockey Canada will need to do some honest soul-searching as the sport federation continues to deal with the fallout from its handling of an alleged sexual assault — and an out-of-court settlement.
Posted at 1:07 p.m.
Speaking to reporters in Nova Scotia on Thursday morning, the Premier added that the national sport federation “will have to do a lot” to regain the trust of Canadians.
Hockey Canada has come under fire since it was learned in May that the federation had quietly settled a lawsuit brought by a woman who alleges she was raped while intoxicated by eight unidentified players, including members of the 2018 National Junior Team, following a gala in London, Ont., four years ago.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
The woman was seeking more than $3.5 million in damages from Hockey Canada, the Canadian Hockey League and the players, but details of the settlement reached are not public.
We also learned this week that Hockey Canada maintains an emergency fund, from the registration fees collected across the country, for “uninsurable risks”, such as cases of sexual assault. However, the organization said in a statement on Wednesday that this fund will no longer be used to settle sexual assault cases out of court.
Mr. Trudeau believes this is a step in the right direction. But he also believes that Hockey Canada “will have to do a lot more before Canadian parents like me start to trust them.”