Norton said allegations of sexual abuse at the hospital did not appear to be limited to Griffin. A lack of information sharing between child safety services and police was to blame for one allegation not proceeding further. Tasmania police offered a public apology in February after an internal review revealed they received complaints about Griffin in 2009, 2011, 20. Several alleged female victims are suing the state’s health system for damages. Griffin took his own life in 2019 after being charged with a string of child sex offences from his time working at the Launceston general hospital. “The consultation phase for the legislation was completed in February this year but legislation is yet to be tabled in parliament,” she said. She said limited progress had been made on a reportable conduct scheme and the implementation of national principles for child-safe organisations. Norton said the state government had been slow in introducing key reforms recommended by the national royal commission into institutional child sexual abuse.
The inquiry, which will hold public hearings in February and March 2022, has obtained 21,000 documents from government and individuals and received 111 submissions. She said Ashley’s role as a major regional employer appeared to have contributed to it remaining open despite “many reviews over many years” identifying concerns about the safety of children. Without change, three years may be too long a time,” Norton said on Tuesday. “In the course of the coming three years, more children will be placed there. The Tasmanian premier, Peter Gutwein, in September announced the facility would be closed within three years and a new model established – but he insisted children currently detained there were safe.
“It might also be that there has been deliberate cover-up,” she said.
She said this pointed to a “significantly higher” level of abuse than had been reported. Norton said there was an incongruence between complaints of abuse at Ashley made to the commission and complaints made to oversight bodies.
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