Category Archives: ABC

Identity of former childcare worker charged with sexually abusing 91 children revealed under new Queensland laws as Ashley Paul Griffith

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Identity of former childcare worker charged with sexually abusing 91 children revealed under new Queensland laws as Ashley Paul Griffith

By Dan Colasimone

Posted Wed 4 Oct 2023 at 7:45amWednesday 4 Oct 2023 at 7:45am, updated Wed 4 Oct 2023 at 10:59amWednesday 4 Oct 2023 at 10:59am

A bald man in a Hawaiian shirt standing in front of a tree.
Gold Coast man Ashley Paul Griffith, 45, is facing more than 1,600 child sex offences.(Supplied)

A former Queensland childcare worker accused of sexually abusing 91 children can now be named under new Queensland laws.

Key points:

  • Mr Griffith has been charged has with 136 counts of rape and 110 counts of sexual intercourse with a child under 10
  • The case will be heard in court again on November 6
  • He can now be named under Queensland law changes, brought into effect yesterday

Gold Coast man Ashley Paul Griffith, 45, is facing more than 1,600 child sex offences, including rape and indecent treatment of a child, stemming from a major Australian Federal Police (AFP) investigation.

Police allege the offences were committed between 2007 and 2022 while Mr Griffith was working in 10 childcare centres in Brisbane, one in Sydney and one overseas.

Mr Griffith has been in custody in Queensland since August, 2022, when the AFP arrested and charged him on two counts of making child exploitation material and one count of using a carriage service for child abuse material.

Within hours, further alleged child abuse material was discovered on his electronic devices, the AFP said.

The AFP alleges Mr Griffith recorded all the offences, which were against pre-pubescent girls, on his phone and cameras.

He has been charged with 136 counts of rape and 110 counts of sexual intercourse with a child under 10.

The matter was briefly mentioned in court on August 21, with Crown prosecutor Steven Dickson requesting an adjournment until January due to the “voluminous” nature of the case material.

Family and domestic violence support services:

If you need help immediately call emergency services on triple-0

Deputy Chief Magistrate Anthony Gett said he would not adjourn the matter to January.

“I still want to bring it back to see how it’s going, I don’t want to adjourn for such a long time ā€¦ that’s five months away,” he said.

Mr Griffith’s lawyer made no application for bail.

The case will be heard in court again on November 6.

The former childcare worker has been charged with 1,623 child abuse offences.

AFP Assistant Commissioner Justine Gough said authorities are “highly confident” all children allegedly recorded in Australia have been identified.

“In September 2022, the AFP coordinated a joint agency task force with the Queensland Police Service at the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation to review nearly 4,000 images and videos the man had allegedly created,” she said.

“Law enforcement has been working very closely with all the relevant childcare centres for the past year, and we thank them for their cooperation.”

Assistant Commissioner Gough said up to 35 members were involved in Operation Tenterfield from August, 2022. She said the operation was “complex” and required “highly skilled victim identification specialists”.

“There is not much solace I can give parents and children who have been identified under Operation Tenterfield, but I can tell you we never gave up and we never will when it comes to protecting children.”

New laws came into effect this week

Queensland law changes allow people accused of sexual offences to be identified.

The law changes, which came into place yesterday, mean accused rapists and adults charged with sexual offences can be named by the media before they go to trial.

This brings the rules around the offences into line with those for all other criminal offences, and brings the state into line with every other jurisdiction, apart from the Northern Territory.

Accused rapists can be named by the media before they go to trial

Accused rapists can be named by the media before they go to trial under new laws that come into effect in Queensland today. So, what will be different and what rights do accused people now have?

Close-up shot of Scales of Justice statue in Brisbane CBD on August 1, 2018.

Read more

An exception to this is if identifying the accused would identify the accuser.

Accused sexual offenders can still apply to prevent their names from being publicised via a non-publication order (NPO).

The changes have been made in an effort to to amplify the voices of victim-survivors.

The move was one of 188 recommendations made by a domestic violence and justice taskforce last year.

The new legislation applies to any new, ongoing, and historical cases in Queensland.

Anyone who has been accused of sexual offences, or who was accused in the past, may now have their matter publicised.

Posted 4 Oct 20234 Oct 2023, updated 4 Oct 2023

RETRIEVED https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-04/qld-ex-childcare-worker-abuse-charges-named/102931896

Refund of Fees

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Amongst the growing amount of public acknowledgment, that ā€˜those foreign cases of #childabuseā€™ are in fact happening within their own neighbourhood, at their own school, or ā€˜worst stillā€™ to their own children – itā€™s understandable that some parentā€™s concerns wonā€™t be for that safety of their own victimised child, but for themselves to be able to reclaim ā€œwasted moniesā€. As we now live in a consumerist society, occasionally we hear of broken families, where their sole-concern is in filling their own hip pockets with some of that šŸ’°, as fractures often occur in these horse-or-cart structures. (Experienced Satire)

As examples of some Private/Elite schools in Brisbane whoā€™ve offered out some damages-compensation-(not hush money), here are some examples + links:

Header of CARC | Schools https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/schools

As these were just a handful of examples of how a church-founded country of Australia, can be dealing with immersed control of a tax-free body, whilst still battling for equal rights of colonial-Indigenous after-effects – there are many more layers to unpack!

ā€˜Corruption, abuse, deception AND obstruction …ā€™

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Does the mention of any of the terms of ā€˜corruption, abuse, deception, obstructionā€™ cause a creepy feeling, the hairs on the back of your neck stand, or a chill run down your spine? You may have been effected by any of inappropriate issues, that are still becoming prevalent today. Most of us are familiar with the saying of ā€œPower corrupts. Absolute power corrupts, absolutelyā€. (Lord Acton)

Translations of this are often made into areas of vulnerability: Teacher-Students (pedophilia), Church Leader-Youth (child sexual abuser), Sports Coach-Player (privatelessons), Disability Carer-disabled (manipulation), Government-Indigenous (stolen generations), Caretaker-Retiree (aged care abuse) and Banks-Customers (coercion). Thankfully, thereā€™s been many Royal Commissions called, with more to come. Our ā€˜RoyalCommBBCā€™ is only a small example of what can be possible, when the Sharing of beneficial Information-News-Experiences-Solutions are made.

A great part of any Institution, is that like members typically stick together. Itā€™s been found that when ā€˜reality hits homeā€™, many of us acknowledge that theyā€™re not alone AND there is a simple solution available. This is where RCbbc can help, in supporting past Students, Parents and Friends in contacting experts in their fields.

ā€˜Statementsā€™, Visible, CARC & RCbbc

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It should be made clear, that from the range of ā€˜Statementsā€™ collected, that most ā€œInstitutionsā€ overseen by the 2013-17 CARC continue the traditions of:

  • Hegemony,
  • Class-dynamics (IE low-0SES),
  • Layered-secrecy (ā€˜secret societiesā€™)

Numerous others exist, yet these have been highlighted in the Admin of this RCbbc Blog. Through the inclusion of the UKā€™s Visible Program, further explanations are able to be shared. Hopes continue that similar Australian/NZ bodies may join RCbbcā€™s goals. The current NRS is Australiaā€™s victim-survivours to seek Redress 2018-28. ABC have already released provocative Series on 4Corners (St. Kevinā€™s) + Revelation (Catholic Church).

ā€œBrave New Worldā€ … ?!

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After Australiaā€™s July 2020 weekend of ā€˜Black Lives Matterā€™, ABCā€™s Afternoon Briefing had Patricia Karvelas interviewing US Prof. Goff (sp.?). For many Survivours of Child Sexual Abuse, much of these debates have carried the same passion as what weā€™ve felt throughout our lives. Ignorance & turning attention away from are even spoken against in the bible. School lessons. Child care. Sports practice. School camps. A pattern forming…?

Black Lives Matter
JOE MCKENDRY

News of Jeffery Epstein also forms ā€˜front page newsā€™, including parts of the British Royal Family, upper levels of US & International society. At the targeted end of this game are low income, low SES (socio economic status) population & young adults/teenagers. Suitably, Australiaā€™s Judicial System has begun to publicly deal with more allegations following 2013-17 CARC. Highest of these has been George Pell. Sound familiar…?

From the topics presented since 2013, this RoyalCommBBC.blog has aimed to republish noteworthy journalism, factually-based info & ā€˜the other side of the coinā€™ POV. We donā€™t claim to be a Journalistic Reference to prove legal data; it isnā€™t to be used as an excuse or a bet; links can be arranged with suitable portals, where need be; as are related channels, following earlier BBC involvement of later ā€˜guiltyā€™ Nudgee College staff. A later post will be arranged re: queries of Overlack. Seems too surreal…?

RCbbc Blog eNews – prelaunch!

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With the anticipation, similar to days before birth of a first child, another form of publication will soon be released. From our smaller presence in earlier days of the 5 yr Child Abuse Royal Commission (CARC), the need to ‘join the dots’ began to call out. Hopefully, with the increased-global visitors of our RCbbc Blog, we’re now able to Share another media: Newsletters! eNews are becoming a greater extension of the 247 work-cycle, allowing wider varieties of audio, visual, text & combinations of media to be exchanged. A business plan is still being developed, yet many feel that these swapping of ideas is helpful.

Brisbane ex-principal’s role in Anglican Diocese response to child abuse probed

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EXCLUSIVE BY ALEXANDRA BLUCHER, ABC INVESTIGATIONS

PHOTO 

A royal commission found Gilbert Case was told two of his staff were abusing children.

AAP: DAN PELED

The former principal of one of Queensland’s most prestigious Anglican schools is understood to be one of the main subjects of a police investigation into the handling of child sex abuse complaints in the 1990s.

Key points:

  • Qld police have ramped up an investigation into the Anglican Diocese’s handling of child abuse complaints in the 1990s
  • The ex-headmaster of St Paul’s School in Brisbane and former governor-general Peter Hollingworth are both main subjects in the new investigation
  • Dr Hollingworth says police have told him they are not seeking to interview him

New witnesses have spoken to police, with both Brisbane’s St Paul’s School former headmaster Gilbert Case and former governor-general Peter Hollingworth understood to be the main subjects of the investigation.

Dr Hollingworth and Mr Case are being looked at due to their positions of authority in the 1990s, as part of a wider investigation into the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane’s response to child sexual abuse complaints at the time.

The revelation comes as Queensland police swell the ranks of the team tasked with investigating the diocese, growing from one detective to up to six officers since June.

Police are also examining allegations about the handling of complaints that were not heard at the child sexual abuse royal commission.

Child abuse protection advocate Kelvin Johnston said he thought the investigation was being broadened.

“A lot of it has to do with ā€¦ not reporting it [abuse],” Mr Johnston said.

“They should go straight to the police when they hear about them.

“Not doing that is just protecting a brand and that’s not good enough when you’ve got children’s lives and wellbeing at stake.”

There are no allegations of child sexual abuse being committed by Dr Hollingworth or Mr Case.

Fresh investigation follows royal commission findings

Mr Case was the headmaster of prestigious Anglican Diocese-owned St Paul’s School in Brisbane between 1979 and 2000.

The royal commission found during this time, Mr Case was told two staff members at the school ā€” music teacher Gregory Robert Knight and counsellor Kevin Lynch ā€” were sexually abusing boys.

Mr Case denied to the royal commission that he was told in a meeting with two of Mr Lynch’s victims about the offending.

He did not report the allegations to the police and gave Knight a reference in 1984 for a new teaching job in Darwin.

Knight and Mr Lynch were subsequently charged with child sex offences. Knight was convicted and Lynch killed himself while on bail.

Mr Case was later promoted to the role of executive director of the Anglican Schools Office by a panel on which Dr Hollingworth was a member.

The royal commission found Dr Hollingworth knew of a claim Mr Case “failed to respond” to a child sexual abuse allegation at the time of the promotion, but Dr Hollingworth denied this.

Mr Case’s lawyers have been contacted for comment but did not respond.

Abuse survivors speak to police

Dr Hollingworth was Archbishop during the 1990s and later resigned as governor-general in 2003 over his handling of abuse complaints.

The ABC can reveal at least two child sexual abuse survivors who have raised concerns about Dr Hollingworth’s handling of their complaints have recently spoken to the police.

Beth Heinrich gave her account of a sexual relationship with an Anglican priest from the age of 15.

She says Dr Hollingworth heard her speak of this relationship at a failed mediation session with the clergyman in 1995 where he was an observer.

She told the ABC the detective visited her last month where she lives in Victoria.

“He was interested in what had occurred between Hollingworth and myself and documentation that I had to prove my story,” Ms Heinrich said.

The royal commission also found Dr Hollingworth made a “serious error of judgement” when he was Archbishop, by allowing paedophile priest John Elliot to continue in the ministry after finding out he had earlier abused two young boys from the same family.

One of these survivors also confirmed to the ABC he had recently spoken to police.

Police not seeking interview: Hollingworth

Lawyer for Dr Hollingworth, Bill Doogue said his client was not being investigated, and the royal commission and previous enquiries had never suggested Dr Hollingworth had committed any offences.

“I rang the Queensland Police and they told me that they were not seeking to interview Dr Hollingworth,” Mr Doogue said.

The lawyer said there was no legislation mandating the reporting of child sex abuse in the 1990s in Queensland.

Mr Doogue said his client only found out about the abuse committed by John Elliot when the survivor was in his mid-twenties.

“Dr Hollingworth made the priest go and confess ā€¦ which he did,” Mr Doogue said.

“At any point after that the family could have gone to the police ā€¦ which the victim did in fact do a couple of years later.”

Mr Doogue also said when Dr Hollingworth was invited to be part of a mediation between Ms Heinrich and the clergyman she accused of abusing her, the clergyman was at that point denying the allegations.

Calls for state-wide team

Queensland State Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington said the Queensland Government needed to create a specialist statewide taskforce that investigated historical cases of child sexual abuse, like that which exists in NSW.

“We understand that police resources are already stretched and regional child-protection units do not have the allocation of detectives needed to fully investigate some of these historical abuse claims,” Mrs Frecklington said.

“Many stretch back decades and contacting witnesses can be very challenging.”

Mrs Frecklington wrote to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in June asking for more resources after advocates raised concerns about police resourcing with her and the Premier.

Mr Johnston said a special taskforce to investigate historical cases was essential.

“That’s what has got to happen, and if it doesn’t then the Queensland Government is negligent,” Mr Johnston said.

The Premier has been contacted for comment.

The child sexual abuse royal commission has made close to 700 referrals relating to all institutions to the Queensland Police Service (QPS) for investigation.

There were 371 complaints of child sexual abuse to the royal commission against the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane alone, the highest of any diocese in Australia.

QPS said all referrals had been “assessed and appropriately managed within current resources”, with all investigations conducted by the Sexual Crimes Unit and regional child-protection units.

“The QPS is continuing to review allegations concerning the handling of complaints of child sexual abuse by the Anglican diocese,” the Queensland Police Service said in a statement.

“The investigation is appropriately resourced.”

Retrieved: https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-18/brisbane-ex-principal-role-anglican-diocese-response-child-abuse/10376578?pfmredir=sm