“Incredibly relieved” – Jury finds ex-Canucks Jake Virtanen not guilty of sexual assault
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Jake Virtanen found not guilty in court for the sexual assault case
Ex-Vancouver Canucks forward Jake Virtanen was found not guilty of sexual assault after a week of prurient testimony, as stated by the jury. The 25-year-old openly wept as the verdict was read at the Supreme Court of British Columbia. His friends and family whispered a soft “yes” as Jake was released from being guilty.
He got comforted by his family, friends, and lawyers, as the ex-NHL player clutched his head in his hands. Before leaving the court Virtanen and his lawyers declined to comment on this matter. The case which started in September 2017 with an incident in a downtown Vancouver hotel room finally came to an end.
Jake Virtanen was not found guilty
Jake Virtanen was charged with sexual assault in January in connection to the downtown incident. Last week at the court he stated that the woman who accused him of indecent behavior was an “enthusiastic participant” in the encounter. He told that they were mutual interested and initiated physical touch before having sex.
On the other hand, the woman told that she was forced to do his bidding in the hotel room even though she repeatedly said “no” to his advances. At the court, it was noted that Virtanen and the woman met at the Calgary Stampede in July 2017, as stated on tsn.ca. After that, they were in touch and met once again when she drove to Vancouver in September to visit friends and family and to do a photo shoot.
As per her statement, she was a victim of this incident but still didn’t approach the police at that time. In April 2021 she posted her story on an Instagram page for survivors of sexual assault. She conversed with a reporter from Glacier Media where she named Virtanen as the man who allegedly assaulted her and launched a civil suit shortly after. At that time Virtanen was playing for the Canucks when the allegations surfaced in May 2021.
Defense lawyer Brock Martland told the jury that the woman’s testimony was “riddled” with inconsistencies and stated that she was not a trustworthy witness. In the recent scenario where Virtanen was found not guilty, he happily commented, “I am glad the truth has come to light”. “I am looking forward to resuming my career as an NHL player. For my whole life, I have dreamed about playing the sport I love, in the best league in the world.” “I want to thank my family, my friends, and my supporters, the people who stood behind me through these most difficult times.”
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