LNP leader David Crisafulli promises child protection investigation into Ashley Paul Griffith

A probe will be launched into Queensland’s child protection failings that allowed Australia’s worst pedophile to sexually abuse dozens of girls in daycare centres, if the LNP wins October’s state election.

Ashley Paul Griffith.

A probe will be launched into failings in Queensland’s child protection system that allowed Australia’s worst pedophile, Ashley Paul Griffith, to sexually abuse dozens of girls in daycare centres – if the Liberal National Party wins October’s election.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has pledged to order the Queensland Family and Child Commissioner to investigate how Griffith was able to repeatedly abuse children for almost two full decades.

Police twice cleared Griffith after suspicions were reported that he had abused girls in two separate Brisbane daycare centres in October 2021 and April 2022.

Queensland Opposition Leader David Crisafulli. Picture Lachie Millard

His phone and homes were not searched and he was not even interviewed over the second complaint, from a three-year-old girl who told her mother that Griffith “touched my privates”.

Griffith went on to rape at least one more girl and abused three others between the first complaint to Queensland police and his arrest in an unrelated investigation in August 2022.

A subsequent search of his phones and cameras uncovered evidence he had abused 91 girls in daycare centres in the state.

He pleaded guilty in Brisbane’s District Court last week to 307 charges.

The Miles Labor government has resisted calls for a broad ­inquiry, saying that for now, it was sufficient for police to review their own handling of prior complaints against Griffith.

An internal review was previously completed by police, which found the matters were appropriately investigated and that the claims could not be ­substantiated.

Earlier in the week, Mr Crisafulli had refused to commit to ordering a public inquiry if the LNP won October’s state election because Griffith’s case was still before the court.

On Wednesday, however, opposition justice spokesman Tim Nicholls said an LNP government would direct the QFCC’s principal commissioner, Luke Twyford, who is also chair of the Child Death Review Board, to uncover system failings and make his final report public.

His investigation would have powers to compel witness and evidence, similar to those of a royal commission.

“This shocking case raises ­serious questions about the efficacy of a system that should have kept Queensland children safe,” Mr Nicholls said.

“A monster was able to carry out his heinous crimes within the current system and we must do everything in our power to fix the failures of that system.

“Queensland parents who drop their children off at day­care, childcare or school want to know everything that can be done is being done to protect their children.”

Mr Crisafulli used question time on Wednesday to accuse the third-term Labor government of failing to keep children safe and questioned why it was yet to implement all 81 recommendations from a 2017 review into the state’s Blue Card system.

The review, ordered after schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer was murdered by her stepfather in 2015, recommended the state government strengthen checks for Blue Cards required to work with children in Queensland.

After parliament passed laws on Wednesday, 20 recommendations are still outstanding.

Premier Steven Miles defended the government’s record on child safety, insisting the system had been improved since Labor took power in 2015.

“We’ve made extensive changes to systems and processes to help ensure more children are protected and safe from harm,” he said.