Four high school football players who were accused of sexual assaulting a teammate in Lethbridge, Alta., won’t be going to trial┬атАФ┬аthree were given peace bonds while┬аcharges against the fourth were withdrawn, Crown prosecutors told CBC News Friday.
The teens are 16- and 17-years-old and were charged last October with sexual assault with a weapon, forcible confinement and assault with a weapon.┬а
They cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Defence lawyer Miranda Hlady┬аrepresents one of the teens and┬аtold CBC News her client’s charges were withdrawn in June. Her client┬аproceeded┬аthrough a diversion program involving extrajudicial sanctions.
Defence lawyer Brad Kraus, who represents one of the teens who received a peace bond,┬аtold CBC News it’s been an incredibly tough year for everybody involved in the case.
“No surprise that the subject matter of this case generated such a far-reaching controversy. However,┬аour legal system functions at its best [when people]┬аare able to take a step back from the controversy and assess the facts objectively, as was the case here,” Kraus said.
A spokesperson for the Crown prosecutors’ office told CBC News there were challenges with the case that resulted in the prosecutor determining┬аpeace bonds would be the appropriate resolution for the remaining three teens.
A person who receives a peace bond is subject to court-ordered conditions for a set period of time.
