Judge rules weapon was used in toddler sex assault

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

A St. Catharines judge ruled on Friday that Daniel Senecal did use a weapon in the brutal sexual assault of a Welland, Ont. toddler last year.

The question was at the centre of a court case, and will help determine how long the registered sex offender will be behind bars.

It was in August last year when 26-year-old Senecal broke into a Welland home and brutally sexually assaulted the three-year-old girl who lived there.

He pled guilty to several charges related to the incident, but there was one outstanding piece of evidence to be settled: whether or not a weapon was involved.

Today, Justice David Andrew Thomas made his decision.

Yes, he is “inescapably drawn to the conclusion that the defendant used a screwdriver,” said Justice David Andrew Thomas.

The judge pointed to what he called the “trifecta of evidence” against Senecal presented by the Crown:

First, a former roommate of Senecal’s who claims he confessed to his crimes the morning after, telling her, “I’ve done something bad.”

Second, security camera footage that shows Senecal breaking into the young girl’s room carrying the tool. “A picture is worth a thousand words,” the judge said.

And finally, testimony from the doctor who assessed and treated the toddler’s injuries. Dr. Valerie Bloomfield said they were most likely caused by a “smooth, narrow, elongated object” no wider than one centimetre.

The defence had suggested Senecal only used the screwdriver to open the doors, not during the assault.

Several members of the gallery left the room as the judge reviewed the evidence, visibly upset by the descriptions of the young girl’s injuries.

Alicia Googoo is the founder of Our Heart On Our Sleeve, an advocacy group pushing for a public sex offender’s registry in Canada. She and several other supporters have shown up to every single court date.

“I am very satisfied with the verdict … the victim cannot show up for herself so it is our obligation to show up for her,” said Googoo.

Senecal has already pled guilty to the charges, but today’s ruling means he can be given a lengthier sentence due to the aggravated nature of the assault.

The court will now proceed to sentencing. The crown is seeking a dangerous offender designation, and that will take around eight weeks.

They return to the courtroom in December for an update.