Concerns regarding one’s reputation and the potential for defamation may discourage individuals from reporting childcare abuse, according to a Queensland inquiry into paedophilia.

Concerns related to reputation or legal risks may discourage individuals from reporting issues within the childcare sector, as revealed in a review of the most notorious paedophile in Australia, Ashley Paul Griffith. Griffith, who received a life sentence last year for sexually abusing 73 young girls in Brisbane and Italy, “met all the criteria” for obtaining and maintaining a Blue Card—the state’s system for checking individuals working with children—until his arrest on 1,623 charges of child abuse. The report from the Queensland Child Death Review Board, part of the Queensland Family and Child Commission, highlights that the state’s child protection system might provide a false sense of security. The inquiry, which was ordered in December, found that these concerns about reputation or the fear of defamation and legal issues for organizations and individuals could act as deterrents to raising concerns. Moreover, the complaint process can be unclear, especially when complaints are against someone in a senior role who might be involved in the investigation. Additional issues include complaints not always being pursued, and information not shared between agencies, ultimately leading to no ongoing investigations or charges against Griffith until his arrest in 2022. Despite having one of the world’s leading police units dedicated to tracking online child sex abuse, Taskforce Argos, Australia has been criticized for its weak programs in child abuse prevention. In response to this, the Queensland Attorney General has ordered the board to investigate system responses to child sexual abuse and suggest improvements across early childhood education and care, police, and the Blue Card systems. The board has taken steps in their investigation, including issuing information requests, receiving extensive materials and footage, and convening an expert roundtable; a final report is expected later this year.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jul/02/queensland-paedophile-ashley-paul-griffith-blue-card-working-with-children-abuse-system-responses-review-inquiry-ntwnfb