More than 200 protesters gathered outside the courthouse in St. Catharines on Wednesday, calling for systemic change and demanding action after a 25-year-old man was charged with sexually assaulting a child under the age of five.
Daniel Senecal has been charged with break and enter, aggravated sexual assault, sexual interference, and assault by choking after police say a man forced open the front door of a Welland home over the Labour Day weekend, attacked the child and left her with serious injuries.
The child remains in the hospital in stable condition.
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The case has shaken the Niagara community to its core.
“It’s unimaginable, unthinkable, and we need to stand up for justice,” said one of the protesters on Wednesday.
Mayor Frank Campion condemned the attack, calling it “a horrific act that is impossible to fathom,” while Niagara Regional Police Chief Bill Fordy continued calls for bail reform, noting that Senecal was out on probation at the time of the incident.
“It’s our community, and when I talk about the community, it’s a community. Welland is where this happened, but also the community of people who are outraged about what’s happened and trying to ensure that this does not happen again,” said Campion.
Friends of the family have launched a GoFundMe campaign that’s raised more than $25,000 to help the child’s mother relocate and rebuild after what organizers call a “horrific” attack.
Senecal remains in custody and is scheduled to make his next court appearance on October 15.
