Consent and Cross-Examinations in the Hockey Trial

Content warning: this conversation contains graphic details of an alleged sexual assault so please take care while listening.

Proceedings began late last month in a trial that has been seven years in the making.

It involves five former members of Canada's gold medal winning 2018 world juniors hockey team. They've been accused of sexually assaulting a woman who is known as E.M.

All five have pleaded not guilty.

This same alleged assault made headlines a few years back when it was revealed that Hockey Canada quietly settled a civil suit over it, and had settled other unrelated cases as well.

The CEO and entire board of Hockey Canada resigned. It ignited a fierce debate over hockey culture in this country.

The ongoing criminal trial has put that debate back in the crosshairs as the woman at the centre wrapped up a marathon seven day cross examination by multiple lawyers this week.

Today we are going to talk about what has transpired in the case so far and the larger questions about hockey culture with Katie Strang, a reporter with The Athletic.

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