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Care aide accused of sex assault rubbed lotion on patients’ genitals, B.C. court hears

Amado Ceniza also accused of sexual exploitation of a person with disabilities
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Amado Ceniza is charged with three counts of sexual assault and three counts of sexual exploitation of a person with disabilities. (Kendra Crighton/News Staff)

The second day of trial for a 39-year-old care aide accused of sexually abusing patients of Aberdeen Hospital began Wednesday morning at provincial court in Victoria.

Amado Ceniza is charged with three counts of sexual assault and three counts of sexual exploitation of a person with disabilities.

The court heard from two witnesses today who say they were sexually abused by Ceniza. The first witness described how Cenzia was supposed to put lotion on the top of her legs and inner thighs. Once he finished applying lotion to those areas the courts heard how he moved his hand into her vaginal area and applied the lotion there for about half a minute.

READ ALSO: Saanich man convicted of sexual assault once behind non-profit fighting ‘sexually exploitative behaviour’

The witness told the courts the same event took place the next day but for about half the amount of time. The witness did not report the incident until later when police approached her after speaking with someone else at the hospital.

The second witness described how the accused was supposed to put lotion on her legs and abdomen but instead put the lotion in his hand and used a sawing motion to apply it to her vaginal area.

READ ALSO: Man charged with Saanich sexual assault appears in court

Stating that it hadn’t registered that she had been assaulted yet, the second witness stated how the accused then tried to hug and kiss her multiple times while saying that she would never see him again.

The next morning, a roommate of the second witness told her that she thought she had been raped and recounted a very similar story to her that involved the same care aide. The pair decided to report the incidents to a social worker at the hospital the next morning.

Both witnesses pointed to Cenzia when asked if the person who assaulted them was in the room.

Cenzia had no comments for the media as he was leaving the court house only to say that he was protecting his rights.

The trial is expected to run until Thursday.



kendra.crighton@blackpress.ca

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