No trial for three teens in Lethbridge high school football sex assault case

LETHBRIDGE, Alta. — Members of an Alberta high school football team accused of sexually assaulting a teammate last fall won't face trial.

The four accused, who were 16 and 17 at the time of their arrest, were charged with sexual assault with a weapon, assault with a weapon and forcible confinement. Because of their ages, they cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

One of the accused was referred to extrajudicial sanctions in February and had charges withdrawn in June. The outside-of-court sanctions under the Youth Criminal Justice Act aim to hold a young person accountable without proceeding through the formal court process.

The other three were scheduled to go on trial next month, but in Lethbridge court Thursday their cases were resolved with peace bonds.

A peace bond is a court order where the individual agrees to keep the peace and abide by a handful of court-ordered conditions, usually in exchange for the withdrawal of charges that don't appear on a criminal record.

"It has been an incredibly tough year for everyone involved. There has been no surprise that the subject matter of this case generated such a far reaching controversy," said Calgary lawyer Brad Kraus, who represents one of the young men.

"However our legal system functions at its best when people are able to take a step back from the controversy and assess the facts objectively, as was the case here."

Police have said a 16-year-old boy was assaulted in a locker room of a Lethbridge high school after regular hours last October.

Investigators served a search warrant at the school and seized a weapon. They did not give details about the weapon and had said the case did not involve hazing.

After charges were laid, the school's football program was suspended, then cancelled for the rest of the season by the Lethbridge School Division.

There was no response to a request for comment from the Crown prosecutor overseeing the case.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2024.

— by Bill Graveland in Calgary

The Canadian Press