The Crown Attorney's Office in Hamilton has announced it will seek dangerous offender status for Daniel Senecal, a registered sex offender who pleaded guilty in June to sexually assaulting a three-year-old girl in Welland, Ontario. The assault, which occurred on the night of August 30, 2025, involved the use of a weapon and caused potentially life-threatening injuries to the child. Senecal, 26 at the time of the assault, was arrested on August 31, 2025, after police responded to a medical assistance call involving a child. The victim, whose identity is protected under a publication ban, was taken to McMaster Children's Hospital in Hamilton where medical staff identified injuries consistent with force and strangulation. Ontario Justice David Andrew Thomas ruled at a Friday hearing that the Crown had proven beyond reasonable doubt that a weapon was used in the assault, citing expert testimony from Dr. Valerie Bloomfield, a pediatric and adolescent gynecologist, and surveillance footage showing the weapon in Senecal's possession. Senecal's roommate, Brittany Duclos-Robins, testified that he admitted to using a weapon the morning after the assault, and her testimony was deemed credible by the judge. Senecal had been on probation for a violent sexual assault of a 12-year-old boy in 2021 and was released from prison early in March 2025. He is also listed on the National Sex Offender Registry. The Crown's application for dangerous offender status, which would allow for indefinite detention, follows a series of community protests and calls for criminal justice reforms in the Niagara Region. Recent legislative changes, including Bill C-14, the Bail and Sentencing Reform Act, have tightened bail and sentencing frameworks across Canada. The case has drawn significant public attention, with far-right groups holding rallies demanding justice for the victim, prompting police warnings against vigilante actions. The next court proceedings are scheduled for December 10, 2026.