The case of four members of an Alberta high school football team charged with the sexual assault of a teammate last month has been adjourned until next month as defence lawyers await a “voluminous” amount of material from the Crown.
Police allege a 16-year-old boy was assaulted in the locker room of a school in Lethbridge, Alta., after regular hours on Oct. 3.
The accused, who are 16 and 17, have been charged with sexual assault with a weapon, assault with a weapon and forcible confinement.
The four teens were arrested and released from custody on conditions, which include not having contact with the complainant or attending the school.
Lawyers for the accused appeared in youth court in Lethbridge on Wednesday and asked that the case be adjourned to Jan. 24 as they await disclosure of the case against their clients.
The Crown has previously indicated it is to proceed by indictment, signalling the seriousness of the charges and sending the matter to the Court of King’s Bench.
“I understand the disclosure is quite voluminous and it requires vetting from (the Crown’s) office,” said defence lawyer Brad Kraus.
“It is in excess of 2,500 pages and that would give myself some lead time to discuss the matter further with the Crown once we receive that disclosure.”