Hearing in St. Catharines on 2025 assault of Welland toddler begins

CHCH News cautions that the details of the case are disturbing and advises reader discretion.

The gallery of a St. Catharine’s courtroom was full Wednesday morning as a hearing began in connection to a vicious attack on a Welland toddler last summer.

After a delay on Tuesday, a Gardiner hearing got underway in St. Catharines Wednesday, bringing the courts one step closer to sentencing 26-year-old Daniel Senecal.

Senecal pleaded guilty last month to several charges related to the sexual and physical assault of a toddler, which happened in her Welland home in August last year.

WATCH MORE: Welland toddler assault hearing begins with delays

The three-year-old girl was hospitalized for her injuries and the incident spurred a series of protests and community calls for harsher sentencing.

That’s in part because Senecal was previously convicted of the sexual and physical assault of a 12-year-old boy in 2021, and was sentenced to 18 months in jail.

He was on probation when the Welland incident took place.

READ MORE: Sex offender Daniel Senecal pleads guilty to sexual assault of Welland toddler

While Senecal has already pleaded guilty to the charges in this incident, a Gardiner hearing reviews key pieces of evidence that the Crown and defense disagree on that could impact the length of sentencing.

One witness took to the stand Wednesday, a former friend and housemate of Senecal.

The disagreement between the Crown and defence here being if Senecal told this friend that he “did something bad” and knew he had a bloody weapon in the house, or if that conversation never took place — as the defence alleges.

CHCH News is still expecting the Crown to call one more witness.

READ MORE: Welland’s push for stricter justice triggers federal bail reform