Hockey Canada trial judge says onus of proof not met - ESPN

LONDON, Ontario — An Ontario judge is delivering her ruling Thursday in the sexual assault trial of five former members of Canada's world junior hockey team, saying she did not find the complainant's testimony to be credible.

Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia said the court cannot meet its onus of proof for the charges in the case. She is still reading the reasons for her decision and hasn't officially ruled on the charges against each player.

Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Callan Foote have all pleaded not guilty to sexual assault in an encounter that took place in a London, Ontario, hotel room in the early hours of June 19, 2018. McLeod has also pleaded not guilty to a separate count of being a party to the offense, an unusual application of a charge that is more typically seen in murder cases.

The players, who are now between the ages of 25 and 27, were in London at the time for a gala and golf tournament marking their championship victory.

Years of speculation regarding the allegations — fueled by a lawsuit settlement, parliamentary hearings and revived investigations by the police and Hockey Canada, along with an NHL investigation — all preceded a complex trial earlier this year that included a mistrial and the dismissal of the jury, leaving the verdict to Carroccia.

The woman testified in May that she was naked, drunk and scared when four of the men showed up unexpectedly in her room at the Delta Hotel London Armouries and felt the only «safe» option was to do what they wanted. Prosecutors argued the players did what they wanted without taking steps to ensure she was voluntarily consenting to sexual acts.

«I made the choice to dance with them and drink at the bar, I did not make