July 29, 2019 - 2:15 PM
VICTORIA - A British Columbia provincial court judge has found that collusion, whether intentional or not, was a factor in the acquittal of a care home aide accused of sexually abusing elderly, disabled patients at a facility in Victoria.
Forty-year-old Saanich resident Amado Ceniza was accused of multiple counts of sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a person with a disability.
He had pleaded not guilty and denied the allegations made last July by three women being treated at Aberdeen Hospital's extended care facility for elderly residents.
The court heard the women have mobility issues, two rely on wheelchairs and another uses a walker, and each testified she was groped, hugged and kissed without her consent.
Judge Dwight Stewart ruled there were concerns about possible inadvertent collusion between the women and he also found inconsistencies in testimony about the chronology of events and description of the alleged perpetrator.
However, he said there was a probability that Ceniza tried to hug and kiss two of the women, and found his conduct to be highly unprofessional.
Stewart praised the women for their bravery during the trial and said greater attention will be paid to these cases because of their advocacy. (CTV Vancouver Island)
News from © The Canadian Press, 2019