Australia’s most notorious child abuser Ashley Paul Griffith ‘should’ have been disrupted: report
One of Australia’s worst pedophiles “could and should” have been stopped, with a damning report finding “warning signs” weren’t listened to.
A pedophile who committed more than 300 child abuse offences “could and should” have been detected and disrupted earlier, a sobering report has found.
Queensland’s Child Death Review Board report, focused on Ashley Paul Griffith, found “warning signs” about the child abuser were “never fully connected”.
In 2024, Griffith plead guilty to more than 300 charges of abuse committed in childcare centres in Brisbane and Italy over a nearly two-decade period.
He is appealing that sentence while he faces life behind bars with a non-parole period of 27 years.
Publicly released on Monday, the report found there were “missed opportunities” where Griffith’s abuse could have been stopped, including when children, parents and staff has “repeatedly raised legitimate concerns” and when he had been fired.
Griffith had been dismissed from jobs involving children on more than five occasions and had been the subject of police and early childhood regulatory investigations into his conduct, according to chief executive of the Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC) Luke Twyford, who led the review.
Mr Twyford found none of the allegations or investigations “made a difference”, as Griffiths was apprehended after he uploaded digital images of the abuse, rather than in response to the concerns of adults or children involved.
“This left children unprotected and families unsupported, effectively closing the door on concerns despite the potential for ongoing risks,” the report reads.
Griffiths was often “moved on” after reports were made against him, rather than those reports being addressed, communicated to future employers or even recorded.
Queensland remains one of the only Australian jurisdictions without a Reportable Conduct Scheme, which monitors how organisations investigate and report on allegations of abuse and mistreatment of children.
In the absence of a Reportable Conduct Scheme or a similar organisation, parents and childcare providers have no choice but to turn to the criminal justice system or the child welfare system, with the report finding a “significant gap” between the two.
“This evidence made it clear that there is a clear gap when neither police nor the Department of Child Safety are involved,” the report reads.
“This vacuum leaves families and organisations without a protective mechanism and children at continued risk.
Queensland Premier David Crisafuli has promised the state will roll out a Reportable Conduct Scheme from July 2026.
“We promised to shine a light on the State’s broken child protection system and this review has uncovered dark failures,” the Premier said.
“These findings will send a shiver down the spine of Queensland parents and we owe it to every family to make the system safer.”
Originally published as Australia’s most notorious child abuser Ashley Paul Griffith ‘should’ have been disrupted: report
