A DPJ agent who said everything and its opposite in the hope of being acquitted of a sexual assault on a young teenager in his care has just been declared guilty, so much so that he now risks prison .
• Also read: A DPJ worker completely denies having sexually assaulted a teenager in a youth center
• Also read: A DPJ worker undergoes trial for sexual assault on a teenager in a youth center
“The only logical conclusion is that his testimony lacks such value that it does not raise any reasonable doubt,” judge Jean-Guillaume Blanchette ruled Thursday at the Drummondville courthouse.
Martines Cenelia, 41, committed his crime in the fall of 2022, while working as an intervention officer for the Youth Protection Directorate. He has since lost his job.
As part of his job, he had the task of accompanying a 14-year-old girl to the hospital.
Except that when bringing her back to the youth center where she was placed, Cenelia took a detour behind an arena, in order to abuse her.
“In order to ensure that she would not denounce him, he told her that his brothers were pimps and that he had weapons,” explained the judge. He implies that they might come after his mother if she denounces him.”
False report
The teenager, whose identity is protected by the court, had however made a report. Cenelia was arrested and after four hours of interrogation, he finally admitted to having gone to the arena, while denying any sexual assault.
“No, I never touched her. I never put my hand on his thigh. […] Not at all,” he said, repeating everything during his trial.
As if to protect himself, he also produced a report suggesting that during the trip, the victim made sexualized remarks while showing “interest” in him and that she was, according to him, attracted to a man like him.
“And [la plaignante] actually behaves like this towards him, why does he voluntarily decide […] to take him to a place out of sight?” the judge asked himself before concluding that the accused was unreliable.
His other assertions contradicted by surveillance cameras, among others, destroyed what little credibility he had left.
No reasonable doubt
Conversely, the victim testified with confidence, the judge noted, saying that her way of expressing herself demonstrated frankness and honesty. And even if she didn’t remember specific details, like the exact location of the defendant’s hands during the assault, that didn’t change her credibility.
“She was careful to answer the questions well,” the judge said. Her emotionality, when she reported the most intrusive gestures, did not seem at all improvised or false.
Since Cenelia was not found credible and her version did not raise any “reasonable doubt”, and since the victim was believed, the fallen agent was found guilty of sexual assault and intimidation.
He will return to court shortly, for pleadings on the sentence to be imposed on him. He is defended by Me Jasmin Laperle Marquis, while Me Marc-André Roy officiates for the Crown.
Do you have any information to share with us about this story?
Write to us at or call us directly at 1 800-63SCOOP.
