Our statement in response to the Hockey Canada trial verdicts

Dear EM,

Today’s verdict in the Hockey Canada trial does not reflect the truth. It reflects a justice system that is not built to understand how trauma shapes memory and behavior. Courts often expect survivors to perform perfectly, to recall every detail clearly, and to respond like a textbook victim. That is not how trauma works. The legal standard of "beyond a reasonable doubt" is nearly impossible to meet in sexual assault cases. This system was never designed to protect you.

You were brutally assaulted. You were then dragged through a process that attacked your credibility, degraded you, distorted your humanity, and tried to break you down piece by piece. Defense lawyers called you an "unreliable witness". They tried to reduce you to stereotypes, labels, and lies. Outside the courtroom, you faced a country that clung to hockey heroes instead of confronting the violence they were accused of. You stood tall anyway, when we’re sure all you wanted to do was crawl into a ball.

You did something almost no one has the strength to do. You told the truth, knowing it could cost you everything. That kind of courage cannot and will not ever be measured by a verdict. It is not erased by a judge’s words or a defense lawyer’s smear campaign.

Because of you, more people understand what consent really means. Because of you, survivors across this country feel less alone. You have shifted the conversation, and you have people wanting to fight for something better for us, because we deserve better. You deserved better. You deserved so much better.

Hold your head high. You are not the failure here. The system is. And no "not guilty" verdict can ever change the fact that we see you, we believe you, and we will never stop fighting for a world that is worthy of your bravery.

With unwavering support,

J.B., Kelly Favro and Kristi Lee
Beyond The Verdict