Restorative justice resolves Manitoba hockey hazing case, teens’ charges stayed

Defence lawyers are commending the use of restorative justice, which helped resolve a hockey hazing case last year without the need for criminal prosecution.

The Crown, on Friday, stayed all charges against three Manitoba hockey players — all youths at the time of the incident — accused of hazing after a restorative justice process that took place last month.

The province confirmed the charges were stayed on Monday. The Crown attorney overseeing the case, Lisa Carson, could not be reached for comment.

Katherine L. Bueti, a lawyer for one of the formerly accused, said the process was appropriate for the situation and an attempt to try to get the entire community to heal.

“That was the biggest goal of this entire exercise, to help not only these players, but others who had (been victimized) in the past, and going forward, not have to endure this and find a better way to get passed this,” Bueti said.

“The thing we have to realize is that this has been part of hockey culture for decades, and some of these accused had also been victimized previously.”

Bueti said there were meetings very early on and throughout between Crown counsel, multiple Crowns, multiple defence and a judge who was seized of the matter to determine how to deal with it.

“The thing we have to realize is that this has been part of hockey culture for decades, and some of these accused had also been victimized previously,” she said.

The incident came to light in April 2024, when three teenage boys were arrested and charged with sex offences following allegations of hazing on a rural high school hockey team.

Two incidents of hazing, targeting five teen boys who were rookies on the Prairie Mountain Mustangs, happened in November and January, Manitoba RCMP said at the time. The alleged victims were 15 and 16 years old.

Three 17-year-old boys were arrested. Two were to be charged with sexual assault with a weapon, sexual assault and forcible confinement. The other was to be charged with sexual assault and assault.

The Mustangs are a co-op AA varsity boys’ high school hockey team with players from three rural schools in three different school divisions. The incidents were alleged to have occurred at two different Winnipeg hotels while the team from the Pembina Valley area was in the city to play in weekend tournaments, RCMP said.

The team’s roster included players from Prairie Mountain High School in the Prairie Spirit School Division, Ecole Regionale Notre Dame in Division scolaire franco-manitobaine and Miami School in the Prairie Rose School Division.

Restorative justice is an approach to crime that sees the accused and the victim meet in an effort to restore relationships, fix the damage that has been done and prevent more crimes in the future.

“This kind of restorative process, divergent, educating the community, educating the players, educating the teams and parents, is integral to ensuring these sorts of hazing episodes are no longer acceptable.”

Defence lawyer Saul Simmonds said the process is critical for the justice system, particularly when working with children.

“This kind of restorative process, divergent, educating the community, educating the players, educating the teams and parents, is integral to ensuring these sorts of hazing episodes are no longer acceptable,” Simmonds said.

He said the criminal justice system isn’t supposed to prosecute everything, particularly when it comes to children, where it is built into youth criminal justice legislation.

“This is exactly what should have happened,” Simmonds said.

Beuti said restorative justice was an appropriate path because, in this case, the incidents were simple assaults and not more serious charges.

“It’s a factor that factors in,” she said. “If it had been more egregious facts, it may not have been appropriate. If people weren’t willing to do this process, it may not have been appropriate. It’s all very fact and case specific.”

The Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association declined to comment on Monday, but confirmed all three players have since graduated.

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca