Regret vs. Rape: Digital Sense-Making and Cultural Narratives of Sexual Violence Following the R. v. McLeod et al. Verdict

Abstract

Ice hockey serves as a central cultural force and a pivotal symbol of national identity in Canada. Consequently, legal controversies within the sport tend to generate intense public scrutiny and debate. Allegations of sexual assault against five members of the 2018 Hockey Canada team and subsequent trial (R. v. McLeod et al.) in 2025 were no exception. Previous research has explored how media framing influences public perception of sexual violence that involves professional athletes. Yet there is a notable gap in understanding how the public uses Reddit to communicate about and make sense of high-profile sexual assault cases involving athletes, including the Hockey Canada case. 

This study addresses that gap in the literature by exploring how Reddit users framed their response to the not guilty verdict in R. v. McLeod (2025) through the lens of broader cultural narratives about rape myths and masculinity. Using thematic analysis, this study examines 2,216 comments from the r/Canada and r/hockey subreddits that were posted in the two days following the court’s decision on July 24, 2025. Initial analyses show how Reddit users used dark humour to make sense of the sexual assault allegations and the “not guilty” verdict. Further, many respondents framed the court’s decision by referencing common rape myths (Such as telling women not to "decide to cheat, go to pick up bars, or get drunk"). These findings suggest judicial acquittals in sexual assault cases may inadvertently validate and perpetuate harmful cultural narratives in public forums. Implications for future policy and research are discussed.