Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre has condemned a prison transfer request in the case of Daniel (Dani) Senecal, a 25-year-old registered sex offender charged in the violent sexual assault of a three-year-old girl in Welland, Ontario.
In a post on X, Poilievre called Senecal a “vile male monster” and argued against allowing biological men into women’s prisons. He was responding to reports that Senecal, who identifies as transgender, requested transfer to the Vanier Centre for Women if bail is denied. Poilievre said Senecal should be “locked up permanently” and used the case to renew his call for a blanket ban on male prisoners being housed in female facilities.
His remarks came hours before a planned protest outside the St. Catharines Courthouse, where Senecal’s bail hearing was scheduled for 11 a.m. the same day.
According to Niagara Regional Police, Senecal was arrested on August 31 after allegedly breaking into a family home in Welland and assaulting a young girl while her parents were asleep. The child was hospitalized in stable condition. A community vigil held on September 7 drew about 200 people, calling for justice system reforms and support for the victim. Police have confirmed that Senecal was known to the family, revising earlier reports that described him as a stranger.
Senecal is facing charges of sexual assault, sexual interference, and break and enter. He is being held in segregation at the Niagara Detention Centre pending the outcome of his bail hearing.
Court records show that Senecal was previously convicted in September 2021 of sexually assaulting a young boy during an overnight stay at a relative’s home.
After a two-year court process, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison but was released six months early in March 2025. That earlier case has fueled criticism of Canada’s sentencing and parole practices for sex offenders. Senecal remains listed on the national sex offender registry, which is not publicly accessible.
The reported transfer request has drawn attention to Canada’s correctional policies for transgender inmates. Since 2017, Correctional Service Canada has allowed individuals to be housed based on gender identity rather than biological sex, except in cases where safety concerns override.
The policy was introduced to provide dignity and protection to transgender prisoners but has been criticized by some women’s rights advocates and opposition politicians. Quebec introduced more restrictive rules in 2025, but federal guidelines remain in effect nationwide. Legal challenges have been filed arguing that current policies put female inmates at risk, while supporters say they are necessary to uphold human rights protections established under Bill C-16, which added gender identity to Canada’s Human Rights Act in 2017.
Poilievre’s comments reflect a broader Conservative Party platform emphasizing tougher sentencing for violent offenders and opposition to self-identification policies in correctional institutions. Online reactions to his post included demands for harsher penalties and calls to repeal Bill C-16. The case continues to draw national attention as the bail hearing proceeds.