The recent sentencing of former junior hockey player Noah Corson has sparked renewed discussions about the importance of understanding consent and the law among young men, according to an advocate. On Monday, Corson, who played in the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), was sentenced to just under two years in prison for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl during a group sexual encounter with two other players in 2016. Corson, the son of former NHL player Shayne Corson, received his sentence from Judge Paul Dunnigan in Drummondville, Quebec.
The assault occurred in Drummondville and involved two other boys, both of whom were 17 years old at the time. They pleaded guilty in youth court, and their identities are protected by a publication ban. Corson, now 27, was 18 at the time of the incident and was a player for the Drummondville Voltigeurs. He testified that he believed the girl was at least 16 years old. Dunnigan's ruling was based not on the victim's assertion that she did not consent to the group sex, but rather on Corson's failure to take reasonable steps to verify the victim's age, whose identity is also protected.
In a Thursday interview with Global News, Jennie-Laure Sully, a sexual assault and exploitation advocate with CLES, stated, “She was underage and did not meet the legal age of consent, so consent was not possible. It was his responsibility to verify her age. The first mistake is making assumptions.” According to the Criminal Code, individuals must be at least 16 years old to consent to sexual activity, although there is an exception for 14- and 15-year-olds if their partner is less than five years older.
In a Thursday interview with Global News, Jennie-Laure Sully, a sexual assault and exploitation advocate with CLES, stated, “She was underage and did not meet the legal age of consent, so consent was not possible. It was his responsibility to verify her age. The first mistake is making assumptions.” According to the Criminal Code, individuals must be at least 16 years old to consent to sexual activity, although there is an exception for 14- and 15-year-olds if their partner is less than five years older.
