London police apologize for delay in sex assault charges against former world junior players

During a press conference on Monday, London's police chief apologized to the alleged victim of a 2018 sexual assault 'for the amount of time' it took to lay charges against five former world junior players.

London's police chief has apologized for the length of time it took to lay charges against five former world junior players over an alleged 2018 sexual assault.

"I want to extend, on behalf of the London Police Service, my sincerest apology to the victim, to her family, for the amount of time that it has taken to reach this point," London police chief Thai Truong said during a press conference Monday afternoon. "As a police officer working in this space for many, many years, I can tell you that this is a difficult, difficult situation for all victims and survivors of sexual violence."

Lawyers appeared in court for the first time via video conference Monday morning in the high-profile sexual assault case involving five former members of Canada’s world junior hockey team, four of whom now play for the NHL.

Carter Hart, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton all face sexual assault charges stemming from an alleged 2018 assault of a woman in a London, Ont. hotel room. McLeod is also facing an additional charge of sexual assault for “being a party to the offence."

"The one charge he is laid with is in relation to his own actions and the party to the offense charge is in relation to aiding someone else in committing the offense," Detective Sergeant Katherine Dann of London Police Service's sexual assault and child abuse section explained at the press conference on Monday.

While no pleas were entered Monday morning, lawyers for the players have said their clients will defend themselves against the allegations, and all five are expected to plead not guilty.