Scott Smith

An audit commissioned by the federal government has found that Hockey Canada did not use public funds to settle sexual assault cases or pay for related legal fees.

Police in London, Ont., say they have grounds to believe a woman was sexually assaulted by five players on Canada's 2018 junior men's hockey team. 

Michel Ruest, a senior director of Sport Canada, says the federal organization was made aware of an alleged sexual assault involving members of Team Canada’s world junior hockey team in late June 2018, but did not follow up with Hockey Canada over the next four years.

More Hockey Canada officials are appearing before a parliamentary committee this week as fallout continues over allegations that players from two World Junior Championship teams committed group sexual assaults in 2003 and 2018.

Hockey Canada says it will no longer use a fund maintained by membership fees collected across the country to settle sexual assault claims.

Hockey Canada has been under intense scrutiny since May when news broke that the organization quietly settled a lawsuit filed by a woman who alleges she was assaulted by eight unnamed players, including members of the country's 2018 world junior team, following a gala in London, Ont., four years ago.

“The facts and circumstances which have given rise to this motion are highly unusual and, indeed, extremely alarming,” said the motion, submitted on May 2 to the Federal Court of Appeal by lawyers for the Tsleil-Waututh Nation.