Investigator hired to look into group sexual assault allegations involving 2003 World Junior players

Warning: This story contains sexually graphic details that may be disturbing to readers

Hockey Canada is covering the cost of a third-party investigator hired to look into allegations that a group of men on the 2003 World Junior hockey team sexually assaulted a woman in Halifax during a tournament nearly two decades ago.

As part of Hockey Canada's stated plan to address "toxic" behaviour on and off the ice, it created a new "independent third-party" system to respond to complaints of sexual violence.

That new system hired Ottawa-based lawyer and sport investigator Jennifer White to find out what happened in 2003. 

"My mandate is to make factual findings in respect of the allegations and to determine whether there has been a violation of any applicable Hockey Canada policies," White wrote in an email to CBC News. 

White's website says she specializes in police matters and is retained by organizations to make findings of fact about allegations of inappropriate behaviour.

Hockey Canada has been under intense public scrutiny since May over its handling of sexual assault allegations. The federal government froze the organization's funding, major sponsors have paused their support and a parliamentary committee is holding public hearings on the matter.

A man who reported viewing a video of the alleged 2003 sexual assault told CBC News it showed two players walking into a hotel room where about six other players were standing naked and masturbating around a heavily intoxicated woman while one person penetrated her.

TSN first reported on the video and spoke to two other sources who said they saw the footage. 

Team Canada had been in Halifax in early January 2003 for the finals; it took home a silver medal. Almost all of the