Four members of a high school football team in southern Alberta have been charged with sexually assaulting a fellow member of the team. A Lethbridge police arm badge is pictured in Lethbridge, Alta., on Wednesday, March 10, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Rossiter
LETHBRIDGE, Alta. – Four members of a high school football team in southern Alberta have been charged with the sexual assault of a teammate.
Police in Lethbridge, about 200 kilometres south of Calgary, say a 16-year-old boy was assaulted in the school’s locker room after regular school hours on Oct. 3.
The assault was not random, police said.
“The (complainant), who is very courageous, came forward and reported to the police, and we took the investigation on from there,” Staff Sgt. Pete Christos told a news conference Wednesday.
The accused, who are 16 and 17 years old, have been charged with sexual assault with a weapon, assault with a weapon and forcible confinement. They cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Police said the four were released from custody, and they cannot have contact with the complainant or attend the school. They are scheduled to appear in court Oct. 25.
Christos said the assault was not part of hazing for the team.
He said investigators executed a search warrant at the school and seized a weapon. He would not say what the weapon was because the case is now before the courts.
The complainant has been receiving counselling and other supports, he added.
“It’s never an easy file to investigate,” Christos said.
“With the parents on either side, it does impact their home. Their kids are now involved.”
– By Bill Graveland in Calgary
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2023.
