London's chief of police has put out a statement about an investigation that has brought disgrace upon the country's favourite pastime.
In May, it was revealed that the organization quietly settled a lawsuit filed by a young woman who was allegedly sexually assaulted by eight junior hockey players during a Hockey Canada event in a London hotel room in June 2018. Hockey Canada has since announced that it will be reopening the investigation.
On Wednesday, Chief Steve Williams issued a statement.
"I can confirm that a sexual assault investigation commenced in June of 2018 by members of our Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Section in relation to an incident reported to have occurred at a hotel in the 300-block of Dundas Street, Williams said. "A lengthy and detailed investigation took place, and in February of 2019, it was concluded with no criminal charges laid."
Williams also said that given the significant public interest surrounding the case since the news of the court settlement broke, a review is now being initiated.
"To ensure due diligence, given the serious nature of this allegation, I have directed that an internal review of the investigation be conducted to determine what, if any, additional investigative avenues may exist," said Williams. "While this review will be initiated immediately, there is no predetermined timeline for its completion."
Chief Williams' full statement can be found by clicking here.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed outrage after learning of an affidavit filed last July that suggested Hockey Canada maintained a fund, made up of membership fees collected across the country, to pay for uninsured liabilities, including sexual abuse claims.
"Right now, it’s hard for anyone in Canada to have faith or trust in anyone at Hockey Canada," Trudeau said, responding to a question during an unrelated news conference in Bowen Island, British Columbia.
The Canadian Press was first to report on the detail included in the court file sworn by Glen McCurdie, who was Hockey Canada's vice-president of insurance and risk management, as part of a lawsuit launched by an injured player in Ontario.
During a follow up statement to Hockey Canada said it will no longer use the fund to settle sexual assault claims.
"Effective immediately, the National Equity Fund will no longer be used to settle sexual assault claims. Instead, it will be exclusively dedicated towards safety, wellness and equity initiatives, as well as insurance across our organization – activities which comprised 98 per cent of its resources between 2014 and 2021," a statement from the organization read.
Hockey Canada has also stated that it is aware of the "significant work" needed to "rebuild trust with Canadians" while emphasizing its opening of a full governance review by an independent third party.