Serial sex offender Colin Humphrys needs taxpayer-funded cleaner, gardener, driver and personal shopper if released, report says

Serial sex predator Colin Charles Humphrys should be provided with a cleaner, a gardener, a personal shopper, a physiotherapist and a driver — at taxpayers’ expense — if released, a report recommends.

Sex predator Colin Charles Humphrys. Artwork: Tim Ide

• Bombshell: Six-month delay sparks predator’s new release bid
• State Government moots reforms to stop Humphrys debacle repeat
• Humphrys’ release bid stymied by DPP’s 7am email to court

Serial sex predator Colin Charles Humphrys should be provided with a cleaner, a gardener, a personal shopper, a physiotherapist and a driver — at taxpayers’ expense — if released, a report recommends.

An occupational therapist’s assessment asserts Humphrys needs assistance in the modern world after decades in prison, claiming he “does not know how to use a vacuum cleaner”.

Parole Board chair Frances Nelson QC, who has long opposed Humphrys’ release, has dubbed the recommendations unnecessary expenditure upon an undeserving recipient.

“It’s not as if we’re talking about some incredibly complicated technological advancement that wasn’t available when he went into prison,” she said.

“I struggle to think he would be incapable of pushing a broom … even my five-year-old grandchild can mop a floor … this is simple, ordinary, routine stuff.

“There are other, potentially more deserving prisoners who serve longer terms, would benefit from this sort of assistance, don’t get it and are never nominated for it.”

The most recent photo of Humphrys released by SA Police is decades old.

Humphrys, 66, was last year granted supervised release from prison, to live in Bowden-Brompton, despite his uncontrollable sexual instincts.

He remains in jail pending the outcome of a review of that decision, made possible by new laws campaigned for by his victim, “XX”, the Carly Ryan Foundation and The Advertiser.

After an eight-month delay, the second of two reports required to overturn Humphrys’ release is expected to be provided to the Supreme Court next week.

However, Humphrys is expected to push ahead regardless, using High Court precedent to argue the new laws are unconstitutional and should be struck out.

Should he succeed, the original release order — and the community safeguards drafted as part of its terms — will activate.

The occupational therapist’s report was written in July 2018, a month after state prosecutors failed in their first bid to overturn Humphrys’ release.

It was prepared for both the Department of Correctional Services and for Humphrys himself as part of the standard release application process.

Parole Board Chair Frances Nelson QC has long opposed Humphrys’ release. Picture: Bianca De Marchi.

Humphrys’ victim, “XX”, broke his 27-year silence to campaign for legal reform.

Among its conclusions, the report recommends Humphrys be provided with assistance in and around his supervised residence, as well as during his time out in the community.

It suggests he be provided with a cleaner and a gardener for upkeep of the property, as well as in-home physiotherapy sessions for his health and mobility.

It further suggests someone be assigned to either do his shopping, or take him out to buy food, once a week, and for someone else to drive him to counselling and therapy sessions.

Ms Nelson said the recommendations represented a “massive financial investment” at a time when the availability of DCS officers was already “limited”.

“Why are we putting these sorts of resources into this individual when there are disabled prisoners, aged prisoners and others who could well benefit from assistance?” she said.

“There are many released prisoners that could be considered deserving — and certainly more deserving than Humphrys.”

A DCS spokeswoman stressed the report’s recommendations were not binding.

“Reports such as this are designed to inform an offender of the appropriate reintegration needs they will have to source themselves outside of prison,” she said.

“Notwithstanding any recommendations in an independent assessment report, the Department would not support nor fund services for an offender that are not directly linked to community safety.”

Attorney-General Vickie Chapman said the assessment was a “routine” part of the process.

“The Government is absolute in our resolve to keep Mr Humphrys behind bars,” she said.

Humphrys will argue law invalid

A negative psychiatric report will not stop Colin Charles Humphrys’ bid for release – and the sex predator will back his challenge with one of Australia’s most famous cases.

The Advertiser understands Humphrys will seek to have the state’s new anti-paedophile laws struck out regardless of the conclusions of a key report, due next month.

Humphrys’ challenge will be based on the High Court case of Gregory Wayne Kable, who received a five-year jail term for the 1990 manslaughter of his wife, Hilary.

When Kable was due for parole, the NSW Government passed a law authorising a court to extend a prisoner’s detention if they “posed significant danger to the public”.

It then amended the legislation to specify it applied to Kable alone and not “any other person” – prompting the killer to file a High Court appeal.

The court accepted it was invalid and unconstitutional to write laws that targeted an individual. The decision defined the boundaries of state legislative powers. Humphrys will argue SA’s new anti-paedophile laws were created specifically to stop his release.

Follow @SeanFewster