Apology to abused kids
PREMIER APOLOGISES FOR POLICE FAILURE TO ACT ON REPORTS DATING BACK TO 2009
A REPORT into child sexual abuse has identified multiple failures, over several years, in the handling of claims against a pedophile nurse in the state’s North.
The findings prompted Premier Peter Gutwein and Tasmania’s Police Commissioner to apologise to victims as they jointly announced yesterday a $1.5m taskforce to investigate cold case child sexual abuse claims for missed chances to catch offenders.
THE Premier and Police Commissioner have apologised to victims of child sexual abuse after a report identified multiple failures over a decade in the handling of claims against a pedophile nurse.
The government on Friday announced a $1.5m taskforce to investigate cold case child sexual abuse claims for missed chances to collar abusers.
An internal police review has revealed police had received reports about the conduct of Launceston General Hospital nurse James Geoffrey “Jim” Griffin as far back as 2009.
Griffin, 69, of Legana, was charged with more than a dozen offences in October 2019 relating to crimes against children as young as 11.
He had worked in the Paediatric Unit at the LGH since 2001. He died by suicide soon after being charged.
The report released on Friday identifies information was given to Tasmania Police about Griffin in 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2019.
But the response had fallen short of the standards expected of Tasmania Police, Commissioner Darren Hine said.
“We are truly sorry for any harm towards the victims who were let down by deficiencies in our investigative process at the time,” he said.
“We are committed to implementing immediate measures to ensure information is handled appropriately.”
The 2011 report of sexual assaults was not proceeded with because further information was not provided to police by Child and Family Services.
In 2015, the Australian Federal Police passed on information about sexual offending and child exploitation material.
“Deficiencies in the management of this information by Tasmania have been identified and are the subject of a current Professional Standards investigation,” the report said.
Mr Hine said Tasmania Police was committed to learning from the mistakes identified in the report and improving processes and would provide full assistance to the upcoming Commission of Inquiry into abuse in state institutions.
Premier Peter Gutwein said he was shocked by the revelations but said Mr Hine had his full support.
“I am very disappointed with this,” he said.
“I’m shocked, to be frank, and the Tasmanian people need to understand that this has simply just firmed my resolve — along with the Commissioner’s — to ensure that as we work our way through the Commission of Inquiry that this job is done once, it’s done right, and importantly that we protect our children going forward.
“I want to, as Premier of Tasmania, based on information that’s provided in the Outcomes Report, offer my deepest and most heartfelt apology to all victims of past crimes that have occurred in relation to agencies of the state, where any agency may not have handled information appropriately.
“There is always room for improvement, there must always be, there is no place for complacency.”
Tasmania Police has appointed a specialist investigative and policy team to improve communication around Working with Vulnerable People Checks, review its Memorandum of Understanding with Children, Youth and Families and revamp guidelines for investigating sexual abuse.
Mr Gutwein said Tasmanians needed to brace themselves for further shocking revelations from the Commission of Inquiry and said the government would act swiftly to fix problems as they were identified.
The government has appointed Marcia Neave as president of the upcoming Commission of Inquiry into the Responses of Tasmanian Government Institutions to Child Sexual Abuse, which is expected to begin within weeks.