Latest news with #AshleyPaulGriffith
News.com.au
5 hours ago
- News.com.au
Grim reality of Australia's child sex abuse is laid bare
When Queensland childcare worker Ashley Paul Griffith was sentenced to life in prison for sexually abusing 73 young girls in Brisbane, an interim report warned how the current system 'may result in a false sense of security'. The man dubbed perhaps Australia's worst pedophile had 'met all requirements to obtain and maintain a Blue Card' – the state's working with children check system – until his arrest on 1623 charges of child abuse. 'The Blue Card system is not designed to collect information on early indicators of harm or to identify patterns over time and across organisations, particularly where complaints about a person have been investigated and found to be unsubstantiated due to a lack of evidence,' the report said. The implementation of a reportable conduct scheme in Queensland will commence in 2026 and it is hoped will improve the collation and sharing of this type of information. This week, amid allegations another childcare worker, Joshua Dale Brown, has sexually abused children in Victoria, some of those observations are important to revisit. The childcare worker has been charged but is yet to face trial. The 26-year-old is accused of abusing eight young children between April 2022 and January 2023 and his work at 20 centres across Victoria has sparked the testing of more than 1200 children for sexually transmitted infections out of 'an abundance of caution'. Parents and grandparents around Australia are understandably distressed and in shock over the latest allegations that centre on the new childcare worker in Victoria. On Channel 9, TV host Sylvia Jeffries, a mother of young children, broke down in tears insisting that fixing the problem should be the federal government's highest priority. The tricky part, however, is working out what works and finding the reforms that will make a real difference. It's a big question: how do you stop the sexual abuse of children which has occurred in Australia and around the world for centuries, long before the advent of mobile phones? It is also a grim reality that pedophiles are always going to try to seek employment where they have access to children, whether that's at the local footy club or a kindergarten. Consider this. Two years ago, the first nationally representative research into the prevalence of child sexual offending behaviours and attitudes revealed one in five Australian men reported sexual feelings towards children and one in 10 of those surveyed admitted they had abused children. Of the men who reported sexual feelings, 29.6 per cent wanted help. That's around 4.5 per cent of Australian men. It's a potent reminder that any reform options for the childcare sector need to look more closely about prevention, not simply how to strengthen the existing system. But there are a multitude of issues to be tackled. According to the report by the Queensland Child Death Review Board, there were also fears that concerns about defamation and other legal risks may deter individuals from raising concerns within the childcare sector. As is the case for sexual crimes against women and children, Queensland police also noted 'the high evidentiary threshold' for prosecution. 'Officers must be satisfied there is sufficient evidence to prove a matter beyond reasonable doubt. This is especially difficult for young children who may not be able to talk or have a limited vocabulary,' the progress report said. There were also big concerns around how to track staff when the sector is so highly casualised, along with the 'robustness' of referee checks. 'Unclear information-sharing processes and a fear of privacy breaches may also create an environment where early indicators of potential harm are minimised,'' the report found. 'This impacts the system's capacity to detect child sexual abuse, including by identifying patterns over time and across services.' The reality, of course, is that the vast majority of childcare centres and childcare workers are hardworking and caring educators who, in most cases, have been historically underpaid. But big changes that have been long delayed are being rolled out. Victorian childcare workers are now set to be banned from having their personal devices on them in centres across the state, under new government reforms. The ban on personal devices could be rolled out nationally. In the case of Ashley Paul Griffith, many of his crimes were captured in disturbing videos and photos. It is a grim thought that without these videos, police may never have had the evidence to convict him of his horrific crimes.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Anthony Albanese is always talking about 'cheaper childcare'. Now, as lone wolf predators threaten our kids, there's a VERY obvious word the PM keeps forgetting to say, writes DANIEL PIOTROWSKI
There is something fundamentally rotten at the heart of Australia's child care system. We now have egregious examples - some alleged, some proven - of it failing to protect our children. Victoria Police revealed on Tuesday that detectives had charged a 26-year-old male childcare worker, Joshua Dale Brown, with 70 sexual offences involving eight children at a centre at Point Cook, south-west of Melbourne 's CBD. The charges included rape. To make matters worse, authorities revealed that Brown had worked at least 20 different centres between 2017 and 2025, prompting health officials to ask some 1,200 children to get tested for possible 'infections'. Authorities were deliberately cryptic about what exactly they meant, but the subtext was clear. They were worried children had been infected with STIs as a result of Brown's suspected horrors. They have real reason to be concerned because the country was only recently rocked by a similar set of horrifying circumstances where a predator preyed on children in plain sight. Brisbane childcare worker Ashley Paul Griffith last year admitted to raping and sexually abusing 69 girls over almost 20 years of offending, both at Queensland childcare centres and overseas. Griffith was jailed for life last October - a sentence he is appealing. Meanwhile, he is separately accused of a litany of similar offences in Sydney between 2014 and 2018. The stories go on. In May, it was revealed another childcare worker was filmed slapping a crying baby in the face at a for-profit centre in South Strathfield, in western Sydney. The horrific video was sent on Snapchat as if it was a joke. Brown, Griffith and the unnamed baby slapper were all self-evidently allowed to work with children. Brown had a valid Victorian Working With Children check at the time of his arrest. It obviously wasn't worth the paper it was written on, but the authorities checked whether he had a criminal record or had been listed on a sex offender or professional standards register. It's the same story for Griffith, who had a Blue Card, Queensland's equivalent check, but still went on to offend - despite complaints - until he was ultimately brought to justice. Queensland has launched an inquiry into how its system failed. Victoria is likely to follow. But this is clearly a national problem. There have been too many rotten eggs for it not to be a systemic issue. Like many parents, three mornings a week, I drop my little one at daycare. The educators care quite a lot - I can tell from the work they do out of hours and the detailed reports we get about our son's behaviour. The quality of care matters. But there's too many examples in this country of children falling through the cracks - or worse, into nightmare situations such as these. And it could get worse. Demand for child care is booming. Throughout his time in office, and during his re-election campaign, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke a lot about 'cheaper child care'. He wants to move Australia toward a system of 'universal' daycare. Under that vision, every parent would pay a flat fee and centres could be built on school grounds. 'The objective of universal, affordable child care is one I certainly share,' he said earlier this year. But the Prime Minister rarely - if ever - mentions the most important word of all. Child care also has to be safe.
The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
Reputation and defamation fears may deter childcare abuse reports, Queensland paedophile inquiry finds
Concerns about reputation or legal risks may deter individuals from raising concerns within the childcare sector, a review of the worker dubbed Australia's worst paedophile has found. An interim report into Queensland childcare worker Ashley Paul Griffith, who was sentenced to life in prison last year for sexually abusing 73 young girls in Brisbane and Italy, also said the state's system for protecting children from abuse 'may result in a false sense of security'. According to the report by the Queensland Child Death Review Board, Griffith 'met all requirements to obtain and maintain a Blue Card' – the state's working with children check system – until his arrest on 1,623 charges of child abuse. The board, which is part of the Queensland Family and Child Commission, was ordered to conduct an inquiry in December. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email In its June update the commission said that concerns about 'reputation' or 'a fear of defamation and legal risks to organisations and individuals' may act as a deterrent to raising concerns within the childcare sector. The complaint process can also be unclear, particularly where the person subject to a complaint holds a senior role within a centre or may otherwise be involved in the investigation of a complaint, the report said. The inquiry found that more than one complaint was made about Griffith to his employers, the Early Childhood Regulatory Authority and the Queensland police. 'Of these complaints, the available information suggests they were not always progressed, and information was not shared between agencies. Prior complaints made to QPS did not proceed to prosecution,' the inquiry's interim report said. 'This meant that up until the time of the offender's arrest in 2022, there were no pending investigations, charges or convictions against him, and he met all requirements to obtain and maintain a Blue Card.' In 2021, childcare centre manager Yolanda Borucki, who worked at the same Uniting Church facility as Griffith, helped report him to authorities, but police and the centre rejected the allegations after an investigation. The report warned that Queensland's blue card system is 'a reactive tool and is unable to identify people who have not previously been detected for offending behaviours'. 'A lack of understanding of the limitations of the Blue Card system may result in a false sense of security in organisations where workers hold a Blue Card.' Queensland has one of the world's leading police units dedicated to tracking down online child sex abuse, Taskforce Argos. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion It was the squad that ultimately detected Griffith's offending in 2022. Prior to this, other elements of the police had investigated and discounted complaints against Griffith, whose earliest offending took place in 2007. Australia has been criticised as having among the world's weakest programs for child abuse prevention. Some recommendations from the 2017 royal commission into child sexual abuse have yet to be implemented. The Queensland attorney general, Deb Frecklington, ordered the board to investigate 'system responses to child sexual abuse and make recommendations for any necessary improvements to the laws, policies, procedures and practices across the early childhood education and care, police and the blue card systems'. According to its June update, the board has issued 14 information requests and received more than 17,000 pages of material and 36 hours of video footage and audio recordings from investigations conducted after Griffith's offending was detected. It has also received four final reports from leading academic institutions studying the issue, and has convened an expert roundtable. It is scheduled to issue its final report later this year. In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. The crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. In an emergency, call 000. International helplines can be found via
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Childhood centres wary of raising sex abuse concerns
Upholding reputations and the fear of defamation litigation is preventing early childhood centres from raising concerns about potential sexual abuse by staff. A review of system responses to child sexual abuse is underway in Queensland following the jailing of one of Australia's worst pedophiles, Ashley Paul Griffith, who was given a life sentence after pleading guilty to hundreds of offences. The review has found that early childhood organisations prioritise their reputation, and fear defamation and legal risks, over raising concerns about potential child sex offenders - especially if complaints aren't substantiated. Griffith was given a non-parole period of 27 years in 2024 after he pleaded guilty to 307 offences, including ongoing sexual abuse and making child exploitation material, against 65 victims aged one to nine, beginning in 2003. He pleaded guilty to 28 counts of rape against girls primarily aged three to five at childcare centres in Queensland between 2007 and 2022. Griffith is appealing his life sentence on the grounds that it was manifestly excessive. The Queensland review found that more than one complaint was made about Griffith to his employers, Queensland Police and the Early Childhood Regulatory Authority. Prior complaints to police did not proceed to prosecution, which meant that up until Griffith's arrest in 2022, there were no pending investigations, charges or convictions against him. He also met all of the requirements to obtain and maintain a working with children check. The review comes as Australia is again reeling after a Melbourne childcare worker was charged with more than 70 sex offences against toddlers and babies. The charges laid against Joshua Dale Brown, 26, relate to eight victims aged between five months and two years old, who were enrolled at a childcare centre in Point Cook in Melbourne's west between April 2022 and January 2023. Brown has worked at about 20 facilities since 2017, and health authorities are urging the parents of 1200 children to get them tested for unspecified infectious diseases as a precaution. The Queensland review has recommended that a national reportable conduct scheme and national working with children check system should be implemented to "increase the visibility of perpetrators who move across jurisdictions to avoid detection". Other findings include that complaint processes are unclear at Queensland's early childhood centres and are "particularly problematic" when the accused holds a senior role. The review also found that more action is needed within the police force to identify and respond to potential risks posed by offenders when criminal proceedings are not undertaken due to a lack of evidence. The Child Death Review Board - which is part of the Queensland Family and Child Commission - is set to hand down its final findings later this year. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
ABC News
2 days ago
- ABC News
Queensland review into responses to child sexual abuse hears complaints against Ashley Paul Griffith made 'more than once'
Defamation fears and a focus on an organisation's "reputation" may act as a deterrent to raising concerns about childcare staff, a Queensland review into child sexual abuse responses has heard. Paedophile Ashley Paul Griffith is appealing his life sentence after last year pleading guilty to abusing dozens of children over almost 20 years at childcare centres in Brisbane. The Child Death Review Board (CDRB) is currently reviewing system responses to child sexual abuse in Queensland — using Griffith's offending as a case study. The latest progress report, published late last week, detailed what the review has heard so far, including that the early childhood education and care workforce is large and highly casualised, and pressures may impact the quality of recruitment processes, including the "robustness" of referee checks. "[In addition] the prioritisation of an organisation's reputation, a fear of defamation and legal risks to organisations and individuals may act as a deterrent to raising or sharing concerns about a person, particularly where complaints have not been substantiated," the progress report said. "Unclear information sharing processes and a fear of privacy breaches may also create an environment where early indicators of potential harm are minimised. This impacts the system's capacity to detect child sexual abuse, including by identifying patterns over time and across services." Queensland police have previously said Griffith was subject to two reports about his behaviour in the two years leading up to his arrest, however there was "insufficient evidence to take action" at the time. An internal inquiry found police investigated the claims appropriately. The progress report said initial findings from the CDRB review show 'more than one complaint' was made about Griffith to his employers, the Early Childhood Regulatory Authority and QPS. "Of these complaints, the available information suggests they were not always progressed, and information was not shared between agencies," the report said. "Prior complaints made to QPS did not proceed to prosecution. This meant that up until the offender's arrest in 2022, there were no pending investigations, charges or convictions against him, and he met all requirements to obtain and maintain a Blue Card." Queensland's working with children check — the Blue Card screening process — looks for a charge or conviction for any offence in Australia, child protection prohibition orders, and domestic violence information. The CDRB review has heard a "lack of understanding" of the limitations of the Blue Card system "may result in a false sense of security" in organisations where workers hold the card. "The Blue Card system is not designed to collect information on early indicators of harm or to identify patterns over time and across organisations, particularly where complaints about a person have been investigated and found to be unsubstantiated due to a lack of evidence," the progress report said. "The implementation of a reportable conduct scheme in Queensland, which will commence in 2026, will improve the collation and sharing of this type of information." The review also heard police face "continued challenges" in investigating child sexual abuse offences, including "the high evidentiary threshold" for prosecution. "Officers must be satisfied there is sufficient evidence to prove a matter beyond reasonable doubt. This is especially difficult for young children who may not be able to talk or have a limited vocabulary," the progress report said. "[The review has also heard] an investigation into a report of abuse that does not reach the necessary threshold to pursue criminal charges does not mean the abuse did not happen. "Further action is needed to proactively identify and respond to any potential risks posed by individuals where criminal proceedings were not undertaken due to insufficient evidence." The report said the review team had held its first "expert roundtable" to examine the timeline of Griffiths' offending and share insights, engaged with people impacted by his offending and supported them to make submissions to the review, and issued information requests. It has also received more than 17,000 pages of material and 36 hours of video footage and audio recordings from investigations after Griffith's offending came to light. The team has also spoken with regulators, ombudsmen and children's commissioners in other jurisdictions to "gain national and cross-jurisdictional perspectives". The inadequate supervision of children was the top breach of the national law identified by the early childhood regulator in Queensland in 2023-24. The CDRB's final report is expected to be delivered this year.
