Advisory: This story has graphic details from testimony at a sex-assault trial.
A health-care aide facing sexual assault charges for touching elderly, disabled women in Aberdeen Hospital always asked for consent before doing anything with a patient, Victoria provincial court heard Thursday.
Amado Ceniza, 39, took the stand in his own defence and said “consent” was an essential first step before he delivered any care or performed any procedure.
“Always, always ask for permission for every step,” Ceniza testified.
“Can I put the light on? Can I give you a wash? Can I brush your teeth?”
He is facing three counts of sexual assault and four counts of sexual interference against a person with a disability. All the offences are said to have occurred between July 1, 2015, and July 15, 2018.
Court heard Wednesday from three women their 60s, 70s and 80s, who testified they had been touched inappropiately during their stay at Aberdeen Hospital.
Two of the women said they remembered Ceniza as the man responsible. One said he had hugged her and tried to kiss her.
A third woman could not identify the man who she said had touched her. She testified she had laid in bed with closed eyes during the ordeal and felt her neck and face being kissed after she was groped.
The touching occurred around bedtime, they testified. Following routine, Ceniza helped them with their last toilet visit, cleaned and washed them, changed their adult diapers and applied cream to chafed areas of their skin.
All three are still dealing with various levels of disability. Two testified from electric wheelchairs, while the third used a walker to enter court.
Ceniza said he recalled getting all three women ready for bed.
He said all three indicated to him by pointing their fingers or verbally specifying that he should apply cream to their bodies, which he did.
But Ceniza emphatically denied touching any of the women in an intimate or overtly sexual manner.
Ceniza told the court he had to pay attention to patients’ skin care, keeping a close watch for any sores or signs of infection. Any such signs he would report to a nurse.
He told the court he had completed a nine-month course in 2015 to become a health-care aide. That year he started working on a casual basis at Aberdeen Hospital while working at another job. Ceniza has not worked at the hospital since July 17, 2018.
Aberdeen Hospital assists people with recovery after disabling injuries or illnesses.
