Content advisory: This article includes graphic details of alleged sexual assault

A lawyer representing Callan Foote, one of the five former members of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team who are on trial after being charged with sexual assault, suggested Tuesday the complainant in the case has had “an agenda” by referring to the defendants throughout the trial as “men” rather than “boys.”

Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart, Dillon Dube and Foote have been charged with sexually assaulting a woman referred to in court records as E.M. in McLeod’s hotel room following a Hockey Canada event in London, Ont. McLeod faces a second criminal charge of being a party to the offence. The players, who face up to 10 years in prison if they are convicted, have all pleaded not guilty.

Julianna Greenspan, Foote’s attorney, was the fifth and final defence lawyer to cross-examine E.M. She began her time on Tuesday morning by suggesting that E.M. has purposefully identified the players as “men” during her testimony.

“You have specifically refused to use the term ‘boy’ at this trial, isn’t that right?” Greenspan said. "You refer to these individuals as ‘man’ and ‘men’ over and over and do not once, not one single time, refer to them as ‘boy’ or ‘boys.’ Do you accept that?"

"Yes I accept that...Don't know if that's a conscious decision I've been making,” E.M. answered. “They were at least 18, 19. They were men...that's why I've been referring to them as that."

Greenspan read E.M. clips of the statement she made to London police on June 22, 2018, three days after the alleged sexual assault. In all of those clips, E.M. called the accused players “boys.”

“I’m going to put this suggestion to you…. The reason why you have so carefully changed your language is because you have come into this trial with a clear agenda,” Greenspan said.

“No,........

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