Hub Podcasts The Hockey Canada trial verdict doesn't tell the whole story
Jul 25, 2025
Joanna Baron, Executive Director of the Canadian Constitution Foundation and commentator on legal issues, discusses the recent Hockey Canada trial verdict. She sheds light on the complexities of trauma responses, challenging the misconceptions of consent that emerged during the trial. Joanna critiques the legal system's high standards of proof, emphasizing how they can fail to capture the emotional truths of assault victims. Additionally, she delves into the cultural dynamics surrounding consent and intoxication, urging a deeper understanding of these critical issues.
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Joanna Baron's trauma story
- Joanna Baron shares her personal experience with the fawn response, where fear leads to compliance that looks like consent.
- She explains how this trauma response complicates understanding of sexual consent legally.
Fear disguises as consent legally
- Fear can appear as consent, complicating legal definitions in sexual assault cases.
- The legal system requires proof beyond reasonable doubt, which is hard to meet when trauma responses blur consent.
Evidence ambiguity led to acquittals
- The court found the complainant's evidence inconsistent and unreliable, leading to acquittals.
- Verbal agreements and videos suggested consent despite her subjective fear and intimidation.