‘I didn’t sexually assault her’: Virtanen denies cost in testimony

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Former Vancouver Canucks ahead Jake Virtanen says a girl who has accused him of sexual assault was an “lively, equal and enthusiastic” participant in a sexual encounter almost 5 years in the past.

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Defence lawyer Colleen Elden continued questioning Virtanen in B.C. Supreme Courtroom on Friday, asking him whether or not he sexually assaulted the lady at his lodge room in downtown Vancouver in September 2017.

“No, I didn’t sexually assault her,” he replied. “She was an lively, equal and enthusiastic participant.”

Virtanen, 25, was charged with one rely of sexual assault in January following an investigation by Vancouver police.

The 23-year-old girl, whose id is roofed by a publication ban, has testified that she repeatedly mentioned no earlier than the alleged assault.

The courtroom has heard Virtanen and the lady met on the Calgary Stampede in July 2017. They exchanged numbers and stored in contact through textual content and direct messages on Instagram.

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The girl drove to Vancouver that September to go to household and mates, and do a photograph shoot, and she or he and Virtanen made plans to fulfill. He picked her up from her pal’s home and took her to his lodge room.

Beneath cross-examination on Friday, Crown counsel Alan Ip mentioned Virtanen solely took the lady to the lodge to have intercourse along with her.

“That was your intention all alongside — asking her to hang around, choosing her up, going to your lodge room — it was for intercourse,” he mentioned.

“No,” Virtanen replied.

Ip mentioned Virtanen by no means requested the lady what her understanding or expectation was for what would occur that night time.

“You by no means confirmed along with her what it’s that she needed that night?” he requested.

“We didn’t speak about it,” Virtanen mentioned.

The girl has testified that she repeatedly mentioned “no” and instructed Virtanen she didn’t need to have intercourse with him earlier than he allegedly pinned her to the mattress together with his physique weight and assaulted her.

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She didn’t go to police on the time.

In April 2021, she posted her story to an Instagram web page for survivors of sexual assault, then spoke with a reporter from Glacier Media for a newspaper story, naming Virtanen as the person who allegedly sexually assaulted her.

He was taking part in proper wing for the Canucks on the time and first discovered of the allegations when his agent known as after a sport in opposition to the Maple Leafs in Toronto.

“I used to be nonetheless in my gymnasium stuff,” he mentioned on the stand Friday. “I simply sat there and I simply tried to gather my ideas. I didn’t say something actually.”

Virtanen mentioned after the allegations surfaced, then-Canucks normal supervisor Jim Benning instructed him to remain in his Toronto lodge room and never come out. Over the subsequent two days, he was involved with Benning, then-head coach Travis Inexperienced and a few teammates, however didn’t play or follow with the group.

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“What was going by means of your thoughts as you sat in that lodge room for 2 days?” Elden requested.

“I simply didn’t actually know what to assume. And stared out the window,” he replied, rising emotional and wiping his eyes with a tissue.

The Canucks positioned Virtanen on depart in Might 2021 after the assault allegation, then purchased out his contract the next month.

He final performed within the Russian-based Kontinental Hockey League.

Extra to come back…

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