A Former Coach’s Fall
A former Manitoba hockey coach, Madison Biluk, has been handed a six‑year prison term after a court found she lured and sexually assaulted a teenage player under her supervision.
The offenses spanned from October 2019 to February 2021, when Biluk was aged 24 to 26 and the victim was 15 and 16 years old.
Grooming and Boundary Violations
During the trial, Judge Jerilee Ryle described how Biluk systematically cultivated a relationship with the girl, sending frequent personal messages, arranging late‑night calls, and sharing explicit images on Snapchat, thereby breaching the trust inherent in a coaching role.
The judge noted that the conduct persisted for 16 months, involved secrecy, deception, and repeated violations of the victim’s boundaries.
The Human Toll
The victim’s impact statement detailed a cascade of emotional distress: plummeting self‑worth, persistent mistrust, debilitating depression and anxiety, and two separate suicide attempts that were directly linked to the abuse.
Sentencing and Conditions
In delivering the sentence, the judge accepted a joint recommendation from Crown prosecutors and defence attorneys, emphasizing the need for a period of incarceration that reflects both the gravity of the conduct and the lasting harm inflicted on the young athlete.
Biluk will also be required to register as a sex offender and is barred from any contact with the victim, conditions intended to protect public safety and to underscore the seriousness of the offence.
Legal Aftermath
Although Biluk coached hockey from 2019 through 2023, staff had raised concerns about her behaviour long before the case came to light, prompting an internal review that ultimately did not result in further legal action.
Investigations into Biluk’s conduct in both Alberta and Manitoba were pursued, yet authorities concluded that there was insufficient evidence to pursue additional charges in those jurisdictions.