Former Canuck Jake Virtanen found not guilty of sexual assault
Posted July 26, 2022 11:58 am.
Last Updated July 26, 2022 1:03 pm.
Editor’s note: This article contains details that may be upsetting. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence and is in need of support, those in Canada can find province-specific centres, crisis lines and services here. For readers in America, a list of resources and references can be found here.
A jury at B.C. Supreme Court has found former Vancouver Canucks forward Jake Virtanen not guilty of sexual assault.
Virtanen wept openly when the verdict was read in B.C. Supreme Court on Tuesday.
Virtanen was charged in January with sexual assault in connection with an incident in a downtown Vancouver hotel room in September 2017.
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A 23-year-old woman, whose identity is covered by a publication ban, testified that she repeatedly said “no” and told Virtanen that she did not want to have sex with him.
Virtanen, 25, told the court last week that the woman was an “enthusiastic participant” in the encounter.
Virtanen was playing right-wing for the Canucks when the allegations surfaced in May 2021. The team placed him on leave and bought out his contract the following month.
