Female hockey coach and former star charged with sexual assault on young woman

Disturbing news near Montreal as Vanessa Davidson, 40, who was a teacher working at several West Island schools has been charged with sexually assaulting a minor more than a decade ago.

According to Le Journal de Montreal, Davidson, who in a position of trust or authority over her victim at the time of the alleged offences in 2012 and 2013, faces one charge of sexual assault and two charges of sexual exploitation, all involving the same victim, a 16-year-old female student.

Davidson, who currently coaches hockey at John Abbott college, has worked as a physical education teacher at West Island schools and started a “relationship” with the young woman over a period of six months.

From Le Journal de Montreal, translated from French:

“At first, they saw each other in the accused’s car,” the court was told. After a few meetings, the accused then invited her to the cinema.”

Assaults kept taking place as the accused also attempted to commit abuse during a ski trip organized by the school, or even on school premises.

The complainant, whose identity is protected by the court, ended the “relationship” after a few months. She then spoke about it to another teacher who apparently trivialized the situation, so that there was no follow-up.

“It had a big impact on his life,” the court was told.

As an adult, the young woman began working with children and said she then realized that the situation was not normal, and so she filed a complaint.

Despite the accusations, ajudge recently allowed Davidson to continue coaching minors while she awaits trial, though she cannot be alone in their presence.

Davidson played for the Montreal Stars, a defunct professional women’s ice hockey team, but was also a star player on the McGill Martlets hockey team. She was even induced into the McGill Sports Hall of Fame back in 2020.