Police Chief Tay Tung (right) and Sergeant Katherine Dunn.Mr. Tun apologized for taking so long to file charges.
Canadian police have apologized for taking the time to bring charges against five ice hockey players accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2018.
Police in London, Ont., charged four National Hockey League (NHL) players and a former player last week.
Police said Monday that a review of the case had found evidence that was “not available” during the initial investigation.
All five have denied wrongdoing and have maintained their innocence.
All five were members of Canada’s world junior hockey team at the time of the alleged assault.
“We sincerely apologize to the victims and their families for taking so long to get to this point,” Police Chief Tay Tung said at a press conference on Monday.
“I’m really not happy about this,” he said.
Police closed an initial investigation into the alleged assault in 2019 and no charges were filed, but the investigation was reopened three years later as the case came under intense public scrutiny in Canada.
Sergeant Katherine Dunn, who led the investigation into the incident, said the force had discovered there were “further steps that could have been taken to further the investigation”.
On Monday, the players’ lawyers made their first appearance in a London court on behalf of their clients. No players showed up.
Prosecutors also requested a publication ban on the identity of the victim and two witnesses to the case.
All five players have been charged with one count of sexual assault. Player Mike McLeod has also been charged as a party to the offence.
The four NHL players are McLeod and Cal Foote of the New Jersey Devils, Carter Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers, and Dillon Dube of the Calgary Flames.
The fifth person is former NHL player Alex Formenton. Mr. Formenton played for Swiss hockey club Ambri Piotta until his arrest.
They are on leave from the team pending the outcome of the lawsuit.
Asked if more players might be charged, Sergeant Dunn said: “We have made changes to all parties where we have reasonable cause.”
In 2022, the woman at the center of the case filed a lawsuit against Hockey Canada, which manages the country’s programs and teams from entry level to the World Championships and the Olympics, alleging she was assaulted by eight players. . July 2018, in a hotel room.
In May of the same year, sports network TSN revealed that Hockey Canada had secretly reached a settlement with the woman.
The revelations sparked a national outcry in Canada, resulting in the organization losing federal funding and several high-profile sponsorship deals.
Asked why it took nearly six years for police to file a complaint and whether police had failed in the initial investigation, Mr. Tun declined to provide details as it could jeopardize the investigation. .
“Why it took so long will be part of the legal proceedings,” he said.
The NHL also launched its own investigation, which has since been concluded, but Commissioner Gary Bettman said its conclusions will not be made public as the matter is now before the courts.
Bettman told reporters Friday at NHL All-Star weekend in Toronto, adding that the NHL players, all free agents at the end of this season, will no longer be on the team once the trial begins.
“The most responsible and prudent thing to do at this point is to wait for the judicial process to conclude,” Bettman said.
He also called the allegations “abhorrent” and defended the sport in light of the accusations.
“This is not representative of what’s going on in our game,” Bettman said. “We want people to know that our games are inclusive, welcoming and safe.”
The player’s next court appearance is scheduled for April 30th. Under Canadian law, a sexual assault conviction carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
