http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/law-order/child-molester-colin-charles-humphr...ONE of the worst sexual predators in state history has won his bid to be released from prison — but failed in his attempt to have his location hidden from the public.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court granted Colin Charles Humphrys’ application to be released, on a supervised licence with GPS tracking, to live in the Bowden-Brompton area.
Under the terms of his release, Humphrys’ movements are restricted, he must attend counselling and he must take anti-libidinal medication.
His release will take effect from May 14 unless the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions files, and succeeds in, an appeal against Tuesday’s decision.
Humphrys, 66, had also asked the court to ban publication of the suburb in which he will live, arguing he would fall victim to violence were his location known.
Justice Trish Kelly refused that application on Tuesday, saying she agreed with prosecutors and The Advertiser that the public had a right to know.
“Having weighed this up anxiously, the interests of justice are best served in exactly the way that’s been put forward by prosecutors and, to some extent, by the media,” she said.
“It’s in the public interest, and it’s in the interests of monitoring Humphrys, that the community is aware — generally speaking — of the Bowden-Brompton area.
“That way, if he’s not where he should be, there will be more than just police looking for him.”
Humphrys’ criminal history spans five states and three decades, and he is infamous for the 1990-91 kidnapping of a boy known only as XX.
He served an eight-year term for taking the boy, 9, to Kings Cross in Sydney and abusing him after being introduced to him by fellow paedophile Laurie O’Shea.
It was the second time he had kidnapped a young boy and took him interstate — the first incident occurred in Queensland in 1985.
In 2009, Humphrys was jailed for 19 years for abuse against another boy, 14, that began 30 minutes after they first met and continued for the next three years.
Then-Justice John Sulan refused to set a non-parole period, deeming Humphrys an “opportunistic, calculated” and uncontrollable sexual predator.
In her judgment, Justice Kelly said mental health experts had concluded Humphrys’ chances of successfully re-entering the community were “as good as they’ve ever been”.
She said they still considered him unwilling to control his sexual instincts, and likely to reoffend if presented with the opportunity, and so would need close and frequent monitoring.
“Unlike other applicants, Humphrys has never had the opportunity to demonstrate his capacity to comply with licence conditions,” she said.
“Both psychiatrists ... echoed the same concern that, if he is not given the opportunity ... it is unlikely he will ever be in a better position than he is today.”
One experts, she said, expressed concern that the Parole Board — which opposed Humphry’s release — felt it lacked sufficient resources to monitor Humphrys.
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