A B.C. girl broke down in tears Monday as she described what she claimed was a sexual assault by the hands of a former Vancouver Canuck.
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A B.C. girl broke down in tears Monday as she testified about what she alleged was non-consensual intercourse with Vancouver Canuck Jake Virtanen in his resort room.
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Requested by Crown counsel Alan Ip how she felt about what had occurred, the complainant replied: “Very violated, broke and confused, distraught.”
The complainant, who can’t be recognized because of a publication ban, spent a lot of the day testifying in regards to the incident with Virtanen on the Westin Bayshore Resort on Sept. 26, 2017, when he was nonetheless on the NHL group’s roster.
Virtanen, who was 21 on the time of the incident and is now 25, has admitted that he picked her up and drove her to the resort and that they remained within the resort room till the following morning when he left for apply. However he has pleaded not responsible to the legal offence.
The complainant initially met the previous Canuck right-winger on the Calgary Stampede in July 2017 when she was 18 years outdated and exchanged contact data with him.
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They communicated with each other a variety of instances earlier than she travelled to the Vancouver space from the Inside in September 2017 and deliberate to fulfill with each other, she instructed a B.C. Supreme Court docket jury.
Then, on Sept. 26, 2017, Virtanen needed to fulfill that night however she stated she prompt they meet one other day.
She stated she would quite have frolicked through the day quite than through the night when she didn’t really feel snug and was frightened that within the night she can be put in a “sexual scenario.”
The complainant stated Virtanen saved insisting they meet and he or she thought Virtanen was in Abbotsford and didn’t understand they’d be going to a resort. She thought they’d be going for a stroll or a drive.
She stated she had no ideas {that a} sexual encounter was about to happen and didn’t wish to have intercourse with him.
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“I had a sinking feeling in my abdomen,” she stated.
“Why,” stated Ip.
“It was the precise scenario I didn’t wish to be put in.”
She stated nevertheless that she adopted Virtanen as much as his resort room and went out on the balcony to take a look at the view earlier than he got here up from behind her and put his palms on her, touching her and kissing her on the neck, making her really feel “very uncomfortable.”
She stated she pushed Virtanen’s palms down and went again into the room and sat on the mattress and was joined on the mattress by the accused, who turned on the TV earlier than kissing her once more.
“I felt uncomfortable, kind of tolerated it after which pulled away, shrugging him off.”
The complainant stated Virtanen ignored her efforts to cease him and continued kissing her with the scene being repeated “a number of” instances.
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She stated she struggled to cease him as he tried to take away her shirt and bra after which her pants however stated Virtanen prevailed in getting her garments off earlier than getting on high of her and forcing himself on her.
The criticism stated she repeatedly instructed Virtanen she didn’t wish to have intercourse with him and broke into tears as she described how he penetrated her and not using a condom.
She described the way it took her a variety of years earlier than she reported the incident to police. In April 2021, she described her experiences anonymously on-line on an Instagram web page, which led to her having contact with a journalist and a lawyer, who filed a civil lawsuit on her behalf.
However beneath questioning from Ip, she denied having sued Virtanen to place stress on him and to get cash.
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“Cash was the very last thing on my thoughts. I simply needed the story to be on the market, I needed him accountable.”
The witness is anticipated to proceed her testimony Tuesday.
Virtanen was drafted by the Canucks sixth total within the 2014 NHL entry draft. He was purchased out by the NHL group final summer time after police launched their investigation.
He signed to play in Russia for Spartak Moscow however left the KHL group in March, returning to Canada following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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