Lawyers call for public inquiry into years of alleged abuse in St. John's trailer park

The lawyer representing six people who allege they were sexually abused by Tony Humby is calling for a public inquiry.

Stephen Barnes wants the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary put under the microscope to determine why previous investigations involving Humby did not result in criminal charges. Previous reporting by CBC Investigates — based on untested search warrant documents — showed Humby had been known to police since at least 2007, when a 16-year-old accused Humby of drugging and raping him.

Police arrested Humby on April 6, 2023. He is now charged with abusing 11 teens in total.

"We need to know who knew what, and when," Barnes said. "I would like to know why — despite there being multiple interactions between Mr. Humby and police —  no arrests were made until relatively recently."

Barnes does not believe those answers will come from processes that are already underway — including an active police investigation, criminal proceedings and a review by the province's child and youth advocate into the child protection system.

A public inquiry, he said, would have the power and resources necessary to compel evidence and get answers.

Humby has pleaded not guilty to 33 charges including sexual assault, sexual interference and forcible confinement. He has yet to enter a plea on 39 more recent charges, including child luring and making child pornography.

An alleged accomplice, 82-year-old Bruce Escott, is facing 14 charges. He's pleaded guilty to one count so far, as part of a deal with the Crown, and is due to be sentenced on Friday.

Many of Barnes's questions stem from a pair of investigations in the fall of 2007, which were detailed in search warrant documents — untested in court — that a provincial court judge ordered to be unsealed for CBC Investigates.

According to the documents, a 16-year-old boy went to police and said he'd been raped by Humby, who was 47 at the time. He gave a detailed statement to police and had a rape kit collected at the local hospital.

Humby was called into the RNC headquarters on Sept. 20, 2007. He gave one interview with police, refuting the claims from the alleged victim. He was told after the interview that no charges would be laid.

The rape kit was destroyed, according to the search warrant documents. Barnes said his client was told it was never analyzed.

Court documents lay out another interaction with police, just three weeks after the rape complaint in 2007.

Humby was pulled over on Blackhead Road outside of St. John's at 3 a.m. Police found him with three boys in his car — two who were 16, and one who was 13. According to the police's recounting of events, the group was believed to have been drinking.