Lock Her Up

It's a hard pill to swallow when terrible things happen in one's backyard, but the news broke today that the woman pictured to the left - Madison Biluk - was arrested Thursday and charged with sixteen offences relating to a "sexually exploitative relationship" that happened between 2019 and 2021 while Biluk was a coach. Biluk was a former member of the NCAA's Robert Morris Colonials before the 28 year-old returned home in 2015 to join the MWJHL's Silvertips team. She also made an effort to get into coaching, honing her skills on both basketball and hockey benches in and around the province of Manitoba. It was in this role where she stepped over the boundaries of a coach-player relationship while coaching girls' hockey, and her future will now be decided by the Canadian legal system after she was released with conditions as per Winnipeg police.

The list of charges that Biluk faces is long, and it's very likely she'll be found guilty on a number, if not all, of them. I hope the young woman who stepped forward to confirm the complaints made against Biluk "by someone else 'within the hockey organization'" can find peace at some point, but this abuse that she suffered is likely still a fresh wound. Let me be clear: there needs to be zero tolerance for this at any time and in any place, and I will always side with the victim in these stories unconditionally because of the courage it takes to come forward after suffering abuse.

"There's all different reasons that survivors come forward. I can't speak on the reasons why this young lady came forward, but it's harrowing and very brave," Winnipeg police Constable Dani McKinnon said. "Sport is supposed to be safe, so it's difficult for the entire community."

During the timeframe of October 2019 and February 2021, Biluk was 24-26 years old while the victim was in her teens. Reportedly, the victim was under the age of 16 when the abuse began, so this certainly would be illegal no matter how one may view the relationship. With investigators receiving a tip last month about this exploitative relationship, police handled this with care before charging Biluk with multiple crimes on Thursday.

The list of crimes with which she's being charged includes:

• assault.
• assault with a weapon.
• sexual assault.
• sexual exploitation.
• sexual interference.
• luring a person under 16.
• two counts of luring a person under 18.
• invitation to sexual touching.
• two counts of transmitting, making available, distributing, or selling sexually explicit material to a person under 16.
• two counts of transmitting, making available, distributing, or selling sexually explicit material to a person under 18.
• possessing child pornography.
• making, printing, selling, or possessing for the purpose of publishing child pornography.
• importing, distributing, selling, or possessing for the purpose of distributing or selling child pornography.

Constable McKinnon noted in the press conference that the "alleged coercion and abuse continued after the teen stopped playing hockey", so it's very possible that Biluk still had conduct with the victim. McKinnon also stated that meetings between Biluk and te victim "extended after hours, over the course of this time, with solitary meetings between the two," and that all of the hockey governing bodies were aware of the investigation the police had undertook.

As you're likely aware, everyone is innocent until proven guilty, but that list of sixteen charges is lengthy and covers just about every possible abuse of a minor that one can commit. I'm neither a judge or the jury in this case, but I can't see Biluk escaping all of these charges, even if some are dismissed for whatever reasons. If she's found guilty, she's surely looking at prison time and being registered as a sex offender, so her future will be very limited in all capacities.

As for the victim, my hope is that the healing can begin following this abuse, and that she sees justice through the legal system with Biluk being found guilty. It may take therapy and counselling, but the first step in her healing is believing her account of what happened, something the Winnipeg police seem to have done. Constable McKinnon described the victim as "a phenomenal person," noting that "[t]his is a very brave action."

It should be noted that Biluk worked in the interlake region of Manitoba for a period of time as well as coaching in Alberta for the Rocky Mountain Raiders U18AA team in 2021-22. Police are still investigating to see if there were additional incidents, but, thankfully, no other victims have stepped forward. That doesn't mean that incidents didn't happen, though, so if you're reading this and you know about an incident, please call 204-986-6245 to speak with investigators.

As for Biluk, she's due back in court on January 9, 2024 where she'll be forced to defend herself against the charges laid by the Winnipeg police. It might be best if she works out a plea deal when it comes to escaping some of the sixteen charges, but we'll see how this case plays out in the coming months. Updates will be posted as they become available.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!