Hockey Canada has paid $7.6M in sex abuse settlements since 1989

Hockey Canada says it has paid out $7.6 million in nine settlements related to sexual assault and sexual abuse claims since 1989, with $6.8 million of that related to serial abuser Graham James.

The figure does not include the undisclosed amount of a settlement with a woman who sued the organization this spring.

The hockey governing body has been under fire since it was revealed the money in its multimillion-dollar National Equity Fund – which had been reserved for uninsured payments – comes from player fees.

Another 12 insured claims have cost Hockey Canada $1.3 million, and the organization’s chief financial officer, Brian Cairo, said $1 million of that is related to four complaints about the same alleged perpetrator, although he did not provide details.

Insurance companies were not willing to insure the organization for payouts related to the James case after it became public, which is why the organization needed to set aside a fund for uninsured payments, Cairo told the House of Commons heritage committee Wednesday.

“This money was used to support the victims, not the perpetrator.”

The fund was also used to pay for the services of a law firm that has been investigating the alleged sexual assault in 2018 that has Hockey Canada officials before the committee of MPs this week.

In May, news broke that members of the 2018 world junior team were accused of a group sexual assault after a Hockey Canada gala event in London, Ont.

The heritage committee is now probing how the governing body dealt with the allegations and the lawsuit.