Accuser cross-examined at sexual assault trial for former Vancouver Canuck

The woman who testified that former Vancouver Canucks forward Jake Virtanen raped her in his hotel room was cross-examined in B.C. Supreme Court on Tuesday, during day two of the high-profile sexual assault trial.

Referred to by her initials M.S., she was grilled by Virtanen’s lawyer Brock Martland about her feelings for the young hockey player when she was 18 years old and the two met at a bar at Calgary Stampede in July 2017.

M.S. testified initially she wasn’t interested in the Canucks forward, but Martland suggested she was, playing a video showing her cradling his head while the intoxicated Virtanen vomited into a bowl she was holding.

“I’m going to suggest you that you know he’s an NHL player and that you are getting close to him, indeed in that video getting close to him, because you are interested in him,” Martland said.

M.S. replied: “No.

Martland then asked, “Do you know that NHL players make significant income?”

M.S. answered, “I don’t know what NHL players make.”

After Stampede, the jury heard Virtanen and M.S. stayed in touch via text message and Instagram. Months later when M.S. was visiting Vancouver from her home in the Interior, they agreed to meet the on the evening of Sept. 26.

While M.S. had previously testified she was shocked when Virtanen brought her to the Westin Bayshore hotel where he had a room, Martland pushed back, saying “I want to suggest you knew at that time that this was a hook-up.”

M.S. denied that, insisting she wouldn’t have gone out with Virtanen that night if she knew he was bringing her to his hotel. She testified she followed him through the lobby and up to his room because she didn’t know what else to do.

Martland said “You’re not cornered at the end of the alley. You’re in public.”

M.S. replied “I understand. I was basically not confident enough to say something. I was 18 years old.”

Martland countered “You had the option not to follow him.”

M.S. said “I realize that, but I thought that if it got past the point of hanging out and talking, I could leave.'

On Monday M.S. testified that as soon as they got to the room, Virtanen made multiple unwanted advances that she tried to shrug off. She said she told him she didn’t want to have sex, and that he agreed they didn’t have to, but she told the jury he kept pushing -- eventually taking her clothes off and getting on top of her. She testified he penetrated her without her consent, and she cried in the bathroom afterward.

M.S. said she spent the night in the hotel room with Virtanen because he was her ride back to her friend's house. But in the morning, he gave her cab fare instead because he had to get to Canucks practice.

She testified the two never spoke or messaged after that night, and several years later she told her story first on an Instagram page for sexual assault survivors, then to a reporter, and finally to police.

After an investigation, Virtanen was charged with one count of sexual assault and has pleaded not guilty.

On Wednesday it’s expected Brock Martland will begin cross-examining M.S. about what he referred to as “the incident” at the Westin Bayshore. He has not indicated if he plans to call Virtanen to the stand to testify.