Quebec junior hockey player Noah Corson’s sex assault sentence a ‘wake up call’ to young men, advocate says

Warning: This story contains sensitive subject matter. Discretion is advised.

The recent sentencing of a Quebec junior hockey player has renewed calls for young men to better understand consent, says a sexual assault advocate.

On Monday, former Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) player Noah Corson was sentenced to two years less a day in jail for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl during group sex involving two other players.

Corson, the son of former Montreal Canadiens player Shayne Corson, received his sentence in Drummondville, Que., from Judge Paul Dunnigan.

The assault happened in 2016, in Drummondville, with two other players who were both then 17-year-old minors. They both pleaded guilty in youth court and their identities are protected by a publication ban. Corson, now 27, was 18 at the time and played with the Drummondville Voltigeurs. Corson had testified he believed the girl was at least 16.

Dunnigan based his ruling not on the victim’s claim that she did not consent to the group sex, but on Corson’s failure to take reasonable steps to confirm the age of the victim, whose identity is also protected.

In an interview with Global News on Thursday, sexual assault and exploitation advocate Jennie-Laure Sully with CLES, said, “She was underage, she did not have the legal age of consent, so consent was not possible. It was his responsibility to check her age. Mistake number one is to presume.”

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The Criminal Code says a person must be at least 16 years old to consent to sex, though there is an exception for 14- and 15-year-olds when their sexual partner is less than five years older than them.

However, Dunnigan cited legal precedent that states the exception does not apply to cases involving more than two participants in a sexual act.

Sully agreed, saying this wasn’t a simple sexual encounter between two people, but between a group of three junior hockey league players and one girl, which raises questions around power and coercion.

While sex education programs should be teaching young people about consent and the law, Sully said those working with victims have seen a noticeable increase in sexual assault cases by young men and boys.

“Things were starting to change after the Me Too movement and the era that followed. It had a big cultural impact. But I think it effected older men who saw the consequences unfold and feared for themselves and their careers,” Sully said.

“But today’s younger men and boys, they were too young during that time, they didn’t get that fear — the fear of repercussions. And there’s a sort of backlash to that now, an overcorrection, an online Andrew Tate culture that is influencing this younger generation.”

The Crown had sought a 30-month sentence, while the defence representing Corson argued for a sentence of two years less a day to be served in the community.

During sentencing, the judge noted findings in a pre-sentence report that said, “The accused’s background being that of hockey, the internal culture linked to it could have influenced his thinking or that popularity and success could have given way to a relative feeling of impunity and a certain objectification of women.”

Sully also spoke about what she called the “negative influence of entitlement and a sense of impunity” that young boys can feel when in groups.

This comes amid an ongoing high-profile world junior sexual assault trial in Ontario this week involving five former members of Canada’s world junior hockey team.

When it comes to addressing sexual violence embedded in junior hockey culture, Quebec’s sports minister, Isabelle Charest, told Global News in a statement that she “would first like to reiterate that we are actively working on these issues, particularly with regard to driving cultural change in hockey.”

She added that she strongly encourages victims to continue to come forward.

When asked for comment on Corson’s sentencing, the QMJHL spokesperson Raphaël Doucet said, “Our thoughts are with the victim and we wish her all the best in the future.”

Corson’s lawyers say they will appeal the guilty verdict.

Support is available for people who have been sexually assaulted or abused. You can access crisis lines and local support services. Visit the Department of Justice’s Victim Services Directory for a list of resources in your area. 

— with files from The Canadian Press

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