The PC Opposition is calling for an independent review of investigations into allegations of sexual violence in the east end of St. John’s.
Almost 40 more charges were laid this week against one of the two elderly men charged in the case that dates back to the late 1990s.
Sixty-four-year-old Tony Humby is now facing 72 charges including sexual assault, sexual interference, sexual exploitation and making and possessing child pornography.
The other man, 81-year-old Bruce Escott, has chosen not to fight the allegations against him and is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 22.
There have been reports that earlier allegations were made but not pursued by police and social workers.
Tory Leader Tony Wakeham believes the case highlights failures in the system and he hopes that an independent review of what transpired will shed light on the perceived gaps.
“We need a review of the police files,” he said. “Was everything done that could’ve been done? We need a review of child welfare files to find out exactly what was done. There were incidents that were reported that never went anywhere, so I would want to review all those files.
“I want to understand to make sure that our children in group homes are getting the protection and supervision to make sure that they’re safe.”