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For the prosecution, the sexual assault of a teenage girl by two players of the Victoriaville Tigers, on the evening of their conquest of the cup in 2021, is part of a culture well anchored in the world of hockey.
The DPCP asks the judge to impose 36 months of detention on Massimo Siciliano and up to 42 months on Nicolas Daigle, to send a message to athletes across the country.
The day before, the lawyers of the two ex-hockey players proposed sentencing them to community sentences.
We are not here to resolve the case of Hockey Canada, even proclaimed Siciliano's lawyer, Me Charles Levasseur.
For the prosecutor, Me Michel Bérubé, the status of the two attackers who played in a prestigious league should nevertheless be taken into account by the judge.
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Me Anne-Laurence Brouw and Me Michel Bérubé represent the DPCP in the case.
We heard Nicolas Daigle and Massimo Siciliano standing in front of you and deploring that they can no longer pursue their dream of playing hockey, noted the DPCP representative.
Me Bérubé notes a great risk of trivializing sexual assault.
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The death toll from the head-on collision in Chapais rises to five deaths
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The death toll from the head-on collision in Chapais rises to five deaths
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It amounts to saying: Mr. Judge, I will no longer be able to play hockey because I sexually assaulted a minor with my hockey teammate, the evening we won the hockey trophy, illustrated the prosecutor.
He then invited the judge to ask himself whether the situation would be the same if the two young men had instead committed a robbery. No one would even dare to mention that it is unfortunate that they cannot pursue their dream, said the prosecution's lawyer.
He points out in passing that several people wrote letters to support the two attackers and testify to their accomplishments, including the general manager of the Tigers, Kevin Cloutier.
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The general director of the Tigers, Kevin Cloutier.
If it had been a question of a robbery, would Kevin Cloutier have written a letter?, asks Mr. Bérubé, for whom the answer seems obvious.
This is a case that occurs in a very specific social context, added the prosecutor, referring to the scandal involving Hockey Canada.
The prosecutor argues that Daigle and Siciliano took advantage of their status as hockey players to lure the victim into a trap. During her testimony, she said she felt like a sardine caught in a net, after having had a three-way sexual relationship imposed on her.
She subsequently experienced stress and anxiety, having to take a break from her studies to rebuild herself. During this time, his two attackers were able to continue their studies, notes the prosecutor.
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Massimo Siciliano and Nicolas Daigle will return to the Quebec courthouse in July to hear their sentence.
Me Bérubé therefore requests a prison sentence of 36 months for Massimo Siciliano.
In the case of Nicolas Daigle, he also filmed the attack before showing the video to teammates and staff of the team ;team.
It illustrates this culture of sexual assault in sport, insisted Me Bérubé, adding that it took the intervention of an employee of the hotel where the Tigers were celebrating their conquest of the Cup so that the video is deleted.
We cannot be more in the culture than that, insisted the prosecutor who claims between 39 to 42 months of imprisonment, against Daigle.
Judge Thomas Jacques reserved the case. He will pronounce the sentence in July.
Natasha Kumar has been a reporter on the news desk since 2018. Before that she wrote about young adolescence and family dynamics for Styles and was the legal affairs correspondent for the Metro desk. Before joining The Times Hub, Natasha Kumar worked as a staff writer at the Village Voice and a freelancer for Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella. To get in touch, contact me through my natasha@thetimeshub.in 1-800-268-7116
