WARNING: The story contains explicit details that may be disturbing to some readers
A B.C. woman has filed a civil lawsuit against Vancouver Canucks forward Jake Virtanen, accusing him of sexual assault.
In the lawsuit, which was filed in B.C. Supreme Court in Kelowna on Wednesday, the plaintiff claims Virtanen sexually assaulted her at a West Vancouver hotel in 2017.
According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff, who is identified as M.S, first met Virtanen in Calgary in July 2017.
The two met again in Metro Vancouver in September, according to the lawsuit, and Virtanen drove her to a hotel.
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At the hotel, she said no to Virtanen’s sexual advances and the NHL player “used his body weight and superior strength to render the Plaintiff powerless,” according to the lawsuit.
“Virtanen proceeded to push open the Plaintiff’s legs and to have sexual intercourse with the Plaintiff without the Plaintiff’s consent.”
According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff has suffered severe injuries and consequences as a result of Virtanen’s actions, including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression.
The Canucks placed Virtanen on leave earlier this month after the allegations first emerged on social media and in an interview with Glacier Media.
Vancouver police have said their officers have been in contact with the woman at the centre of sexual misconduct allegations.
Virtanen has yet to respond to the civil lawsuit. None of the allegations have been tested in court.
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