'Do you hate Jake Virtanen?': Cross-examination of accuser continues in sexual assault trial

A lawyer for former Vancouver Canuck Jake Virtanen questioned his accuser about what she says happened at a hotel in 2017, as she took the stand for a third day in the high-profile sexual assault trial.

A lawyer for former Vancouver Canuck Jake Virtanen questioned his accuser about what she says happened at a hotel in 2017, as she took the stand for a third day in the high-profile sexual assault trial.

Virtanen has been charged with one count of sexual assault involving the alleged victim, who was 18 at the time and is being identified in court by her initials M.S..

After first meeting at the Calgary Stampede in July of that year, the two stayed in contact via text and Instagram and agreed to meet the evening of Sept. 26.

After focusing the first day and a half of his cross-examination on the events leading up to and after the alleged sexual assault, lawyer Brock Martland focused in on the alleged attack itself Wednesday.

M.S. testified she was uncomfortable when Virtanen brought her to his room at The Westin Bayshore. Martland asked her why, if the then Canuck forward was making multiple unwanted advances, she didn’t get up and leave.

M.S. replied: “Because I was frozen. I was numb. I didn’t know what to do.”

Martland said she could have "come up with something to stop things from progressing,” suggesting she could have said "I have a yeast infection" or "I’m menstruating."