By Greg Fry

Verdict reaction

Professor hopes hockey verdict doesn’t discourage victims of sexual assault from coming forward

Jul 25, 2025 | 3:26 PM

PRINCE GEORGE — A professor of Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of Northern BC has weighed in after five hockey players were acquited of sexual assault following an encounter with a woman at a London, Ontario hotel room seven years ago.

Dr. Jacqueline Holler admits to initially being “a bit surprised,” but after reading the verdict thinks the judge “laid out a very careful decision in the case.”

“And I think one of the things that happens in cases like this, which involves celebrities let’s say, and high profile kind of people, is that the amount of attention it gets dedicated to them really produces I think a certain expectation in the people who are watching it. And those of us who are really concerned about advocating for survivors of sexual violence and for complainants in cases like this.”

But is Holler concerned the court’s decision will deter victims of sexual assault cases from coming forward in the future?

“I certainly hope not. So, let me say a things about that. I have seen a lot of commentaries since yesterday (Thursday) that I consider pretty ill-advised. One comment that I’ve seen repeated is ‘this sets everything back. Sexual assault survivors can’t get justice.’ I think that’s absolutely the wrong message to convey to people.”

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She says that seven days of cross examination is grueling but notes that won’t happen to every complainant that comes forward in other cases.

“So, I think those of us who are advocating for people really need to be very careful about drawing those kinds of lessons. We need more complainants to step forward because as you probably know, a very small minority of experienced cases of sexual assault – self reported to the Government of Canada when we do the social survey – very few of those get reported to police and we need more of that to happen.”

Holler also believes that members of the media have a role to play in covering sexual assaults.

“I think people in the media have a responsiblity in the public interest to point to other cases. For example, the case that came down in Winnipeg at the very same time where a man was jailed for 13 years for sexual assault. So, this shouldn’t become the sole story about sexual assault.”

She also hopes this case is “going to open a lot of conversations about consent, about sexual assault, about alcohol, about all of those things and I think if you’re watching this and you’re a parent, it’s a great time to have that conversation with your children.”