A thorough inquiry into Queensland’s child protection and blue card system is under way following a “horrific” case that saw one of the nation’s worst pedophiles jailed for life.
The state’s Premier David Crisafulli announced the examination of the “broken” child protection system would be conducted by chair of Queensland’s Child Death Review Board, Luke Twyford.
Crisafulli says the case of Ashley Paul Griffith has highlighted the risks Queensland’s most vulnerable face and that the state’s child protection system had been broken for years.
Former childcare worker Griffith received a life sentence with a non-parole period of 27 years in 2024 after pleading guilty to hundreds of sexual offences spanning almost two decades. Griffith had pleaded guilty to 307 offences, including ongoing sexual abuse and making child exploitation material, against 65 victims aged one to nine beginning in 2003. He pleaded guilty to 28 counts of rape against girls mainly aged between three to five at childcare centres in Queensland between 2007 and 2022.
“The failures in the child protection system go back many years and there have been many vulnerable children who had some of the most horrendous things occur because of that broken system,” Crisafulli told reporters this week.
“But when it comes to the case of Ashley Paul Griffith … it was the most horrific of crimes. It highlighted failures in the system. More of the same isn’t going to cut it, and we are taking action.”
The review will commence immediately with Twyford set to use special powers granted to the board in obtaining information from the Australian Federal Police, Queensland Police Service and Department of Education.
“This will be a broad-ranging review,” says Twyford.
“Ensuring that our blue card system is part of a broader safeguarding system that includes reportable conduct and a child safety standard system, as recommended by the royal commission in 2017, is of equal importance to me.”
A review into Queensland’s blue card system – for checking people wanting to work with children – was undertaken in 2017 by the former Labor government.
“The world is far different to 2017,” says Twyford.
“I think if there are open recommendations from them, this review is a great way to retest whether they are still needed and what implementation needs to occur.”