Daily London
Ashley Paul Griffith is serving a life sentence after being convicted last year of 307 offences relating to the sexual abuse of 69 children, including 28 counts of rape against girls primarily aged three to five.
The ‘In Plain Sight: Review into System Responses to Child Sexual Abuse’ report by the Child Death Review Board found the abuse “could and should have been detected and disrupted earlier” and that parents, children and staff had repeatedly raised concerns with “no obvious resolution”.
The review found five missed opportunities where action could have been taken to detect or stop Griffith, and a further 13 events that enabled him to remain undetected.
The report paints a picture of Griffith “grooming and deceiving everyone around him”, then being quietly “moved on” from centre to centre, allowing him to abuse dozens of children, as information across organisations and agencies was “siloed” and “warning signs were never fully connected”.
Staff, parents and victim-survivors had no “clear pathway” to escalate their concerns after being told by police there was “insufficient evidence” to lay charges.
It was only when Griffith uploaded digital images of the abuse that he was finally caught, not because of any response to the legitimate expressions of concern by adults and children, the report found.
In response, the Queensland government has announced a reportable conduct scheme will launch in July next year, almost a decade after the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in 2017 recommended that every state and territory do so.
A Reportable Conduct Scheme is a legal framework that requires certain organisations to report, investigate, and respond to allegations of child abuse.
The review found there were “at least three instances” where Griffith would have been reported to the Reportable Conduct Scheme had one been in place.
Premier David Crisafulli said the review, announced by the government shortly after it took office, had uncovered “dark failures”.
“These findings will send a shiver down the spine of Queensland parents and we owe it to every family to make the system safer,” Crisafulli said.
“This includes fast-tracking Queensland’s Reportable Conduct Scheme, which Labor never took seriously, because we must deliver stronger safeguards to keep children safe.”
The review made a total of 28 recommendations focused on improving leadership, institutional and organisational practice, responses to victim-survivors, strengthening intelligence gathering and actioning, building community awareness around child sexual abuse, and reforming the criminal justice system.
Child Death Review Board Chairperson Luke Twyford said the report “confronts the uncomfortable reality of the prevalence of child sexual abuse in Queensland”.
“I sincerely acknowledge the courage of every victim-survivor and their families who shared their experience in this review.
“I recognise their hurt, suffering and betrayal, and I hope this report helps in their journey towards healing, while driving change that can benefit many others.
“A system that responds only after harm occurs is not one that protects children, which is why our recommendations call for transformational reform that delivers a child safeguarding approach in Queensland that connects systems, shares intelligence, builds community confidence to detect abuse, responds appropriately to risks, and better supports healing for those who have experienced harm.”
Readers seeking support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyond blue on 1300 22 4636.
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800.
