A judge in Quebec will announce punishments in July for two ex-Quebec major junior hockey players who admitted to sexually assaulting a minor in June 2021 at a hotel while their team celebrated a championship victory.
Nicolas Daigle and Massimo Siciliano, both 21, admitted last October to sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl in the early hours of June 6, 2021, with Daigle also admitting to filming and showing a video of the assault.
At the time of the attack, they were members of the Victoriaville Tigres, in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, and the team had secured the President’s Cup Trophy on June 5, 2021.
The victim, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, was an employee at a hotel in the Quebec City area where the team was staying during the 2021 playoffs.
She agreed to go to the hotel room only with Daigle, but when she arrived she found Siciliano also present and felt trapped before being assaulted by both of them for about 40 minutes.
The defense is asking for community sentences and probation; the prosecution is seeking 36 months for Siciliano and between 39 and 42 months for Daigle.
Prosecutor Michel Bérubé informed the court that community sentences are not appropriate given the circumstances of the case.
During a sentencing hearing earlier this week in Quebec City, the court heard a statement from the victim describing the profound impact of the assault on her life. Both men also expressed regret for their actions when testifying.
Quebec Judge Thomas Jacques will contemplate before issuing a sentence on July 8.
