Calls for justice system reform are intensifying in Ontario’s Niagara Region after the sexual assault of a three-year-old girl in Welland, allegedly by a repeat offender released early from prison.
St. Catharines city councillors this week passed a motion urging the federal government to open the national and Ontario sex offender registries to the public and implement tougher bail conditions for repeat violent and sexual offenders. The motion also called for Ottawa to provide more services and financial support for victims, addressing what councillors described as “significant gaps” in victim support and inconsistencies across provinces.
Similarly, at a meeting of the Regional Municipality of Niagara, Welland Coun. Pat Chiocchio introduced a motion calling for “more restrictive” bail, sentencing, and release conditions for repeat offenders. It also proposed long-term supervision and GPS monitoring of convicted sexual offenders.
The case at the centre of the outrage involves 25-year-old Daniel Senecal, who was already on the National Sex Offender Registry for 20 years following the 2021 sexual assault of a 12-year-old boy. Senecal was serving probation and had been released six months early from an 18-month sentence when he was arrested on Aug. 31, accused of breaking into a Welland home and assaulting a toddler.
Community anger has been widespread. Around 200 people demonstrated outside the St. Catharines courthouse during Senecal’s bail hearing, carrying signs demanding bail reform and longer sentences for violent offenders. Local leaders, including Welland Mayor Frank Campion and St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe, have both written to higher levels of government urging tougher laws. Premier Doug Ford, NDP MPP Jeff Burch, and federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre have also weighed in, supporting harsher penalties.
At the same time, activists are warning against reactionary measures. Saleh Waziruddin of the Niagara Region Anti-Racism Association told councillors that stricter bail rules could disproportionately affect racialized communities and that early detection and treatment are more effective in preventing reoffending. He also raised concerns about vigilante violence if sex offender registries were made public.
Senecal remains in custody, with his next court date set for Oct. 8.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911. For crisis support, resources can be found through the Ending Sexual Violence Association of Canada database.
Category: Crime
