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Verdict expected on July 22 in trial of care aide accused of sexual assault

Closing arguments heard Monday in Victoria courtroom
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Amado Ceniza is charged with four counts of sexual assault and four counts of sexual exploitation of a person with disabilities. (Kendra Crighton/News Staff)

*WARNING: This article contains graphic content.

The B.C. Provincial court heard the closing arguments for the case of the health-care aide accused of sexually abusing patients at Aberdeen Hospital on Monday.

Amado Cenzia pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexual assault and three counts of sexual exploitation of a person with disabilities.

The court heard from witnesses last week, who were patients of Aberdeen Hospital, who say Cenzia touched their genitals without their consent. 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.

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

The witness told the court 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 noted 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.

Judge Dwight Stewart is expected to deliver a verdict on July 22.



kendra.crighton@blackpress.ca

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