Lawyers make closing submissions in Jake Virtanen sexual assault trial
Editor’s note: The following story deals with sexual assault and may be distressing for some readers.
If you or someone you know needs help, those in Canada can find centres, crisis lines and services specific to each province. here. For readers in America, a list of resources and references for survivors and their loved ones can be found here.
VANCOUVER — A defense attorney for former Vancouver Canuck Jake Virtanen says the woman who claims he sexually assaulted her nearly five years ago was not a reliable or trustworthy witness .
Brock Martland told the B.C. Supreme Court jury in closing arguments that there were inconsistencies in the testimony she gave at trial, whereas that was not the case with the testimony of Virtanen.
Martland says that even if the members of the jury no longer know who to believe after hearing all the evidence, they must return a verdict of not guilty.
Virtanen denied in testimony last week that he sexually assaulted the woman in her downtown Vancouver hotel room in September 2017.
He told the court the woman had been an « enthusiastic participant ».
The 23-year-old, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, testified that she repeatedly said no to Virtanen, but he used his body weight to pin her down on the bed.
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