Ontario public safety authorities are refusing to inform the public whether a convicted child sex offender remains in police custody after his arrest last week.
Lucas Petrini was taken into custody last Tuesday for allegedly attempting to approach and grab minors near Toronto’s High Park while under release conditions. Despite repeat inquiries by True North, Petrini’s current custody remains unclear with multiple government agencies deflecting inquiries on the matter.
Petrini’s record goes back to a previous conviction for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a young boy at knifepoint in 2008.
Court documents explain how Petrini abducted the boy at knifepoint while he was walking home from school, and forced him into a nearby residence.
Once inside, he threatened the boy’s life while repeatedly sexually assaulting him over six hours.
Following his initial court appearance at the Toronto courthouse on Armoury Street last week, efforts to confirm whether Petrini was behind bars went unanswered.
Toronto Police Services redirected inquiries about his custody status to the courthouse. A True North request submitted via the courthouse’s online intake form went unanswered. A follow-up email marked as urgent was met with a referral to the Ministry of the Attorney General.
A spokesperson for the Attorney General’s office stated that the matter falls under the jurisdiction of the Solicitor General. Upon contact, a representative at the Solicitor General’s office stated that they were personally “on a temporary assignment at another ministry” and forwarded the inquiry to another dead end. As of publication, it is unclear whether Petrini is behind bars.
Complicating matters further is the way judicial information is disclosed to the public. In Ontario, the outcomes of bail hearings and other judicial proceedings are typically posted online for only 24 hours before being removed.
As a result, by the time cases involving violent re-offenders are reported by the media, the accused’s custody status is often no longer publicly accessible.
Co-chairs of the Keele Street Public School advisory council published a letter on Facebook addressed to the Minister of Justice Arif Virani, Premier Doug Ford, and others expressing outrage over the situation.
“This is every parent’s worst nightmare,” the letter read. “It is unacceptable that such an individual continues to be a threat to our children and families.”
Despite widespread media coverage of Petrini’s case, no reports confirm whether he remains in custody, has been released on bail, or has been transferred to another facility.
Neither the Attorney General’s office nor the Solicitor General’s office has provided a timeline for a response.
Although his custody status is unconfirmed, sources confirm Petrini is expected to make another court appearance on Wednesday.