ManitobaAll charges against three Manitoba hockey players accused of hazing on a high school team have been stayed following a restorative justice process that took place in August.’Restorative justice’ process included some of the families of the alleged victimsCBC News · Posted: Sep 05, 2025 6:57 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours agoManitoba Crown attorney Lisa Carson entered a stay of proceedings Friday for all charges against three hockey players accused of hazing on a high school team. The incidents were alleged to have taken place in November 2023 and January 2024, according to RCMP. (Volkova Irina/Shutterstock)All charges against three Manitoba hockey players accused of hazing on a high school team have been stayed following a restorative justice process that took place in August.Lisa Carson, a supervising senior Crown attorney, entered a stay of proceedings in the province’s youth court Friday afternoon. Carson said the three accused took part in a mediation process involving some of the families of the alleged victims.”The Crown, in consultation with the defence lawyers for all of the youth involved, met with a judge. We had case conferences with respect to the matter, we met with the families of the victims and the accused and their families as well, and we felt it was important to take a restorative approach with respect to this matter to ensure some repair in the community and some healing going forward,” Carson told CBC. Though Carson could not disclose specifics on the restorative justice process, she said representation from the True North Foundation and an academic from the University of Manitoba were involved with the mediation team in developing an approach to deal with the matter. CBC is not naming the accused or the hockey team to protect the young people involved.Some details in this case became public in April 2024, when RCMP said three teens, all aged 17 at the time, “were arrested in relation to hazing incidents on a hockey team.” At that point, RCMP said charges had not yet been officially laid, but they were working with the Crown attorney’s office.Two of the teens faced charges including assault, assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm. One of those teens was also charged with an offence related to sharing an intimate image without consent. When the arrests were made, RCMP said the incidents had been reported to police on Feb. 20, 2024. Two incidents were alleged to have taken place in November 2023 and January 2024, they said. The five victims were rookies on the team, RCMP previously said. Katherine L. Bueti, the lawyer for one of the accused, told CBC News Friday that one of the complainants decided they “didn’t want to participate” in the proceedings.While Carson could not speak to the specifics of the mediation in this situation, she did say several factors are taken into account. “Ultimately, when we look at each individual case, we look at the offender specifically. We look at their criminal records, we look at their age, their involvement in the community — in this particular case to make sure that there’s no ongoing risk to public safety — and we look at what would be the most appropriate course of action taking all of those things into account,” Carson said, adding impact on the victim and community are also considered. None of the allegations had been proven in court. The province has a year to reinstate charges after they are stayed. With files from Karen Pauls
Crown stays charges in case involving hazing on a high school hockey team
