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The Cornell 7 case got national attention only after the woman at the centre of it filed a civil lawsuit, about two years after the alleged assault.
Kathryn Marshall is an employment and human rights lawyer at Marshall Law who represents survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence. She joins divorce mediators Alex Howard and Amanda Silver to talk about why cases like Cornell and Hockey Canada often only become public through civil lawsuits.
Kathryn is suing the federal government on behalf of 21 survivors whose criminal cases were thrown out because of court delays under the R v Jordan ruling. She says one of her clients has had a no-contact order breached 36 times. She also says women have been told by police that a death threat was too vague to act on.
Kathryn wants sexual assault and intimate partner violence cases protected from being thrown out for delay, an end to peace bonds in these cases, and trauma experts in criminal courts. She also talks about Canada adding femicide to the Criminal Code.
The allegations in the Cornell lawsuit have not been proven in court, the accused deny wrongdoing, and no criminal charges had been laid as of October 15, 2026. In the Hockey Canada case, all five players were found not guilty in July 2025.
If you are dealing with abuse or feel unsafe: In Canada, call or text 9-8-8 (Suicide Crisis Helpline). Ontario: Assaulted Women's Helpline 1-866-863-0511 (24/7). In the US: National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
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