Brave whistleblowers expose one of Australia's worst child abuse scandals | 60 Minutes Australia
Summary
TLDRThe script reveals a harrowing exposé on the Ashley Youth Detention Centre in Tasmania, detailing a history of child abuse and cover-ups spanning decades. Whistleblowers like Alicia bravely bring to light the horrifying conditions, where vulnerable inmates faced sexual and physical assault, and the systemic failure to protect them. The script also uncovers the case of James Griffin, a known abuser who was shockingly employed at the center, highlighting the state's negligence in preventing such abuses.
Takeaways
- 🚨 Whistleblower Alicia exposed a dark secret involving child abuse at the Ashley Youth Detention Centre in Tasmania, which powerful people had ignored or tried to cover up.
- 🏭 The Ashley Youth Detention Centre is described as a 'prison of shame' with a horrific history of harm and abuse towards children over a hundred years.
- 👩⚖️ Alicia was employed to help rehabilitate children but quickly discovered staff with harmful agendas and verbal abuse towards the inmates.
- 🚨 Evidence of sexual assault and mistreatment was covered up by the staff, with victims like a young female inmate left unattended and abused by male inmates.
- 🗣️ Alicia reported the abuse internally but faced a lack of response and even threats, with a culture of 'what happens in Ashley stays in Ashley'.
- 👥 Multiple victims, including 'Rachel' and 'Andrea', shared their stories of sexual assault and abuse by staff, which were routinely ignored or inadequately addressed.
- 📈 The scale of the abuse is vast, with hundreds of alleged victims over many decades and a failure to report or act on credible allegations of sexual assault.
- 🚨 The case of James Griffin highlights systemic failures, as a known abuser was transferred to work at Ashley, putting more vulnerable children at risk.
- 💔 Victims like Tiffany Skeggs suffered for years due to the inaction of authorities, despite clear evidence of abuse and complaints from the public.
- 🛑 In response to the scandal, a commission of inquiry was called, and the Ashley detention centre was announced to be closed in three years, a move seen as too slow by whistleblowers.
- 📉 The impact of speaking out has been devastating for whistleblowers like Alicia, whose life has been upended, and for victims seeking justice and reform.
Q & A
What is the main issue discussed in the script?
-The script discusses a significant child abuse scandal at the Ashley Youth Detention Centre in Tasmania, Australia, where children were subjected to physical, psychological, and sexual abuse over many years.
Who is Alicia and what role does she play in the story?
-Alicia is a whistleblower and a former staff member of the Ashley Youth Detention Centre. She decided to speak up about the abuses happening within the facility despite the risks involved.
What kind of abuse did Alicia witness or become aware of at the Ashley Youth Detention Centre?
-Alicia witnessed and became aware of verbal abuse, sexual assault, psychological abuse, and torture of young inmates by staff and other inmates.
What was the response of senior management when Alicia reported the abuses?
-The response from senior management was inadequate and inappropriate, with no single incident reported by Alicia being addressed in a manner that was suitable for the protection of the children.
How did the abuse at Ashley Youth Detention Centre remain hidden for so long?
-The abuse remained hidden due to a culture of silence and cover-ups within the institution, with a mantra of 'what happens in Ashley stays in Ashley' and threats to those who spoke out.
What actions did Alicia take after realizing the extent of the abuse?
-Alicia escalated her reports internally and eventually became a whistleblower, deciding to speak publicly about the abuses to protect children and expose the truth.
Who is Tiffany Skeggs and how is she connected to the Ashley Youth Detention Centre scandal?
-Tiffany Skeggs is a victim of child abuse by James Griffin, a suspected serial child sex offender who was later employed at the Ashley Youth Detention Centre, despite being on the radar of authorities for years.
What was the role of James Griffin at the Ashley Youth Detention Centre and what is his history?
-James Griffin was employed at the Ashley Youth Detention Centre as a staff member despite being suspected of being a serial child sex offender with a history of abuse.
What steps have been taken in response to the scandal at Ashley Youth Detention Centre?
-In response to the scandal, a commission of inquiry into institutional abuse was called, and a class action lawsuit is being led by senior lawyer Angela Sadrinus on behalf of dozens of victims.
What is the current status of the Ashley Youth Detention Centre?
-The centre is scheduled to be closed in three years, which is seen as a bittersweet victory as it means children will still be at risk until then.
How has speaking out impacted Alicia and Tiffany's lives?
-Speaking out has completely upended and destroyed Alicia and Tiffany's lives, with both of them finding comfort in each other's company and the shared experiences of other victims and whistleblowers.
Outlines
🚨 Whistleblower Exposes Youth Detention Center Abuse 🚨
The script begins with the introduction of a whistleblower named Alicia, who reveals the Ashley Youth Detention Centre in Tasmania as a site of horrific abuse against children. Despite the picturesque setting, the center is described as a 'prison of shame' with a dark history of harm to children. Alicia, a former public official, shares her decision to speak out about the inhumane conditions and the sexual and mental abuse of the young inmates, despite the personal risks involved. The narrative also includes the experiences of a victim referred to as 'Rachel,' who endured sexual assault during her time at the center.
🌏 Systemic Failure to Protect: Ongoing Abuse at Youth Prison 🌏
This paragraph delves into the stories of abuse within the Ashley Youth Detention Centre, highlighting the experiences of several victims, including 'Rachel' and 'Andrea.' It describes the inadequate response from staff and management when allegations were made, often resulting in no meaningful consequences for the perpetrators. The narrative emphasizes the routine nature of the abuse and the culture of silence that was enforced, with the catchphrase 'what happens in Ashley stays in Ashley.' Alicia's role as a whistleblower is further explored, revealing the lack of action from senior management despite her reports of sexual assault.
😢 Decades of Unaddressed Abuse: The Ashley Scandal 😢
The script continues to unravel the history of abuse at the Ashley Youth Detention Centre, with a focus on the case of James Griffin, a known abuser who was shockingly employed at the center. The paragraph details Griffin's background, his grooming and abuse of 'Tiffany Skeggs' starting when she was 11, and the failure of authorities to act on multiple complaints against him. It also discusses the tragic consequences of this inaction, including the extended period of abuse Tiffany endured and the missed opportunity by Border Force to intervene.
🔍 The Ashley Youth Jail: A Haven for Predators 🔍
This section of the script focuses on the systemic issues that allowed the abuse at Ashley Youth Detention Centre to continue for decades. It discusses the case of 'Andrew,' a 14-year-old who was raped by an older inmate while under the supposed care of the center. The narrative highlights the lack of staff supervision and the failure to protect vulnerable inmates, as well as the broader societal and institutional failures that contributed to the ongoing scandal.
🏛️ The Battle for Justice: Whistleblowers and Survivors Unite 🏛️
The script introduces the collaboration between Alicia, the whistleblower, and Tiffany, a survivor of abuse, as they join forces to seek justice and expose the failings of state agencies in Tasmania. It outlines their impact on the public discourse, leading to a commission of inquiry into institutional abuse and the eventual announcement of the closure of the Ashley center. The paragraph also touches on the ongoing legal battle, with a class action lawsuit being led by lawyer Angela Sadrinus on behalf of the victims.
🏠 Aftermath of Speaking Out: Personal Consequences for Whistleblowers 🏠
The final paragraph discusses the personal impact on Alicia and Tiffany for their bravery in speaking out against the abuses at Ashley Youth Detention Centre. It describes the upheaval in their lives and the feeling of insecurity that has led them to not feel safe enough to return to Tasmania. The script concludes with a call to action for reforms and the acknowledgment of the ongoing struggle for justice, as well as a prompt for viewers to follow the story on the 60 Minutes Australia channel.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Whistleblower
💡Youth Detention Centre
💡Sexual Abuse
💡Cover-up
💡Inhumane Treatment
💡Vulnerable Children
💡Institutional Abuse
💡Cabal
💡Rehabilitation
💡Commission of Inquiry
Highlights
Alicia, a whistleblower, exposes the dark history of the Ashley Youth Detention Centre in Tasmania, where children were harmed and abused.
The Ashley Youth Detention Centre is described as a 'prison of shame' with a horrific and dark history.
Alicia left the prison on stress leave and decided to blow the whistle to protect children, despite the risks.
Vulnerable children were mentally tortured and sexually abused, with their basic rights ignored by staff.
Alicia discovered a young female inmate was sexually assaulted by male inmates after being left unattended by staff.
Tasmanian law prevents identifying victims, but hundreds of alleged victims have been reported over many decades.
Rachel, a victim, recounts her experience of sexual assault by an unqualified male staff member under the guise of medical examination.
Andrea, another victim, describes routine abuse by a male staff member who couldn't keep his hands to himself.
Alicia found that covering up mistreatment was an expected part of the job at Ashley Youth Detention Centre.
A leaked report from a psychologist warned senior management about the risk of serious harm to vulnerable inmates.
Alicia witnessed CCTV footage of the rape of young inmates, which was not reported to the police.
The prison was on notice about the risk of rape of young inmates since 2007, but nothing was done to prevent it.
James Griffin, a suspected serial child sex offender, was employed at Ashley despite being on authorities' radar for years.
Tiffany Skeggs' story of abuse by Griffin highlights the failings of state agencies to stop child abuse in Tasmania.
Griffin's employment at the youth jail raises questions about the state's handling of known abusers.
A class action lawsuit is being led by senior lawyer Angela Sadrinus on behalf of dozens of victims abused at Ashley.
Alicia and Tiffany join forces to fight for justice and expose the failings of state agencies in Tasmania.
The Tasmanian Premier announced a commission of inquiry into institutional abuse following the scandal.
Alicia and Tiffany's advocacy has led to the announcement that the Ashley Youth Detention Centre will close in three years.
Despite the scandal, there are concerns that predators may still be present within the system in Tasmania.
Transcripts
what you're about to see is a blight on
this country a shameful episode in our
recent history that powerful people have
either ignored or worse tried to cover
up and it's likely would have remained a
dark secret but for the courage of brave
whistleblowers
one of them is alicia and she's made the
tough and dangerous decision to speak up
and shine a light on this disgrace
she's done it because she knows no
matter the cost or consequence there is
nothing more important
than protecting children
it might be in a beautiful part of the
world the rich farming land outside de
lorraine in northern tasmania but
there's nothing nice about the ashley
youth detention centre
it's a prison of shame
here good didn't stand a chance against
evil
people have been harmed
children have been harmed out at ashley
for a hundred years its history is
horrific and dark and and scary
it's been 18 months since alicia left
the prison on stress leave
despite still serving as a public
official she's decided to blow the
whistle on what's really happening
[Music]
inside that's it
and this is the first time you've been
back since you've left
what are you feeling
um
exactly the same as i felt every day
when i left work i guess
just that it's
completely inhumane and wrong that
there's children in that facility
[Music]
i've said to them that i believe them
and i've said to them that i'll do
everything that i can
to help and um
i will
if it wasn't for whistleblowers like
alicia it's unlikely we'd know what
really went on here how vulnerable
children were mentally tortured and
sexually abused their basic rights
ignored by a cabal of staff
it's scary to speak out against people
when you know what they're capable of
i'm absolutely
terrified but you're going to come and
stand up and tell the truth
in october 2019 alicia took a job at
ashley hoping to help kids rehabilitate
rather than re-offend
a lot of them have come from really
difficult homes and backgrounds
they're ticking every box for
vulnerabilities
but within a few weeks of the job she
knew something was amiss
she began to suspect members of staff at
agendas that didn't involve helping the
young inmates
at first it was the way they spoke that
concerned her
what did you hear them say
they've been called little
little shits
useless pieces of [ __ ]
i was present when one of the managers
of the center told
a child that
if he didn't do xyz he was going to turn
him into an owl and i said
what does that mean
and he said i'm going to cave his face
in sorry he said he's going to turn him
into an owl correct which meant that he
was going to cave his face in yes
hearing the way that they were spoken
about was very distressing for me and
that was something that set off huge
alarm bells
it was a much bigger job than i
was prepared for
but it wasn't just verbal abuse alicia
also quickly discovered a young female
inmate had been left alone by staff
and sexually assaulted by male inmates
she was horrifically harmed
what happened to her
they were unattended for so long
that the boys were able to
organize
someone to be
a watch or a guard at the door
and
the other boys took turns
sexually abusing her
was that reported to senior staff at the
center
yes it was were police called in no they
went
the victim was one of many that alicia
found out about
under tasmanian law we can't identify
the children and teenagers who've been
locked up here but we can say that there
are hundreds of alleged victims over
many decades
another victim who we'll call rachel was
reminded to ashley in 2012.
her story is as horrific as it is common
at the youth prison
i was 14 and the first time i went in
there was for stealing a bag of doritos
sling a bag of chips yeah you sent to
jail yep three months
do you remember your first day inside
yeah i remember
i was the first girl that had been in
there for about a year so i remember
there was a lot of um
comments um
the boys are very excited to see me
a few weeks into her imprisonment she
complained of being sick but instead of
the staff calling a doctor or a nurse
she was examined by an unqualified male
staff member
rachel knew instantly that this wasn't
right
he got me just to lie on the couch and
basically proceeded to feel around areas
that i now know were nowhere near my
appendix um and then didn't take me to
the nurse afterwards
um
yeah
it was a sexual assault yeah it was um
yeah and i
yeah i felt violated and it was really
uncomfortable and yeah it wasn't what i
asked for i needed medical assistance
did you feel like you could say anything
while this man was
no
why not no um
because in that moment like i don't know
being a child and having
an adult tell you to do something like i
don't know i just didn't feel like i was
in a position where i could kind of talk
up or ask for help or anything
rachel told a female youth worker about
the assault who helped her complain to
the ombudsman but she says the only
punishment the male staff member
received was two weeks paid leave he
sexually assaulted you and got two weeks
paid leave yeah and then came back yeah
and kept working with you yep
rachel's story isn't unusual
there was never a time he was around me
where he didn't touch me inappropriately
this former detainee we'll call andrea
says abuse was routine
she recalls one male staff member who
couldn't keep his hands to himself
he would
grab my bum
and he would do night shift and i'd be
in a shower he would unlock my window in
my bathroom
and stare at you in the shower
did you have the ability to say
stop or yeah i would and would he stop
no he'd just laugh
many years have passed now
why do you think this guy's conduct
towards you has stayed with you for so
long
um
i feel
my main problem was management's
handling of it
like obviously it was gross and horrible
what happened to us and
in there but the way management handled
it and hid everything
we now know that teens and children were
subjected to abuse for decades at the
ashley youth detention center and that
some staff were well aware of it
in fact when alicia went to work there
she discovered that covering up
mistreatment was an expected part of the
job
what did staff tell you about
what happens to staff who
rocked the boat or speak out about
allegations
straight away
and i was shocked by the the openness
and the brazenness about these comments
it was like
what happens in ashley stays in ashley
basically you've gotta
fit in or [ __ ] off
but i was also told as time went on that
was that um
in regards to myself from a colleague
that
snitches get stitches
snitches get stitches
which was a warning to you if you spoke
the bitter reprisals
yeah that i would be physically harmed
when you tried to raise allegations
internally of
kids being sexually assaulted
what was the general response from
senior management i can't say that there
was a single incident that i reported
that was responded to in a remotely
appropriate way for the children
[Music]
in the end alicia decided she had no
other choice but to become a
whistleblower you're describing
the alleged rape of young inmates
it's not alleged if the footage exists
we've seen the footage yes
it's a place that was meant to help
steer teens and kids away from trouble
towards the straight and narrow
but ashley youth jail in tasmania's
north instead put them at greater risk
thanks to brave whistleblowers like
alicia it's now known as a place where
one of australia's worst child abuse
scandals occurred
many decades of abuse and it's time to
let the light in
yeah i i absolutely
that's a big big job but it
needs to happen
[Music]
in october 2019 alicia started working
at ashley prison
but a few weeks into the job she became
concerned about vulnerable young inmates
being left alone with older prisoners
known to be predators
alicia says she reviewed shocking cctv
showing rape
in this case those two boys did end up
in this unit and
ended up alone with two older offenders
who
[Music]
forced them to remove
their
pants
and they
proceeded to penetrate them with a
bottle
and
on the
footage of this incident
once it was over the the two boys
kind of got up and
what really broke my heart was that um
they pulled up their trap pants you know
they actually issued track pants as high
as they could and they pulled the thing
and they did all these like double knots
as tight as they could
and ran out of the room
you watched that on the cctv i've read
the reports and i've yeah
so
those children
every time that i've seen them since
then they're
tied up tight
as possible
they were never offered any help
even a debrief any any support
alicia isn't the only insider raising
concerns we've obtained a leaked report
written by a psychologist working at
ashley in october 2019 she warned senior
management that vulnerable inmates were
at risk of serious harm because they
were getting left alone with possible
sex offenders still nothing changed
how many credible allegations of sexual
assault serious sexual assault involving
young
children teen inmates did you come to
learn of in your six seven months at
ashley
i don't know
a lot more than ten
yes
what are we talking about what sort of
things
serious serious beatings that could have
easily killed
people
psychological
abuse torture name calling
isolation
breaches of
every single right
that a child has
of the credible sexual assault
allegations you discovered how many were
reported to the police
the sexual assault allegations
none
it gets even worse
before alicia joined ashley the prison
was already on notice that vulnerable
young inmates were at clear risk of
being raped in 2007 a 14 year old will
call andrew was on his second night of
remand he was placed in a cell with an
older bigger inmate who was locked up
for a previous sexual assault
andrew didn't stand a chance because
unbelievably he was left without any
staff watching over him
how many staff should have been there
two staff members and both disappeared
both are gone
i was punched to the side of the jaw and
then i was i was raped
and
the feeling to know that
like you're left there and there's no
help um
it's guarding it's gut-wrenching to know
that
it happened and they allowed it to
happen and there was no help there was
no justice there was there was nothing i
was left
violated and bashed they didn't take me
to see the nurse until the next day
and still to this day i remember exactly
how it happened and i still see it in my
in my brain because
there was no help there was no
cancelling after it happened
you were 14 years old at the time that's
correct
this shocking failure was part of a long
history in tasmania of covering up abuse
and silencing victims
but it's the case of this man james
griffin that highlights the failings of
state agencies to stop child abuse in
tasmania
so they sent a suspected abuser
to a place with even more vulnerable
children a known abuser
many monsters have worked behind the
walls of the ashley youth detention
centre one of them was this man james
griffin
griffin began working at ashley in 2017
but it's how he got the job that's
outrageous that's because for years
before it was suspected he was a serial
child sex offender
i was 11
he was
59
and the grooming started at age 11 at
age 11.
in 2008 tiffany skeggs met child nurse
and tasmanian netball volunteer james
griffin
it wasn't long before he started abusing
her
he had absolute control over me
the
exploitation was
as far as you can go
[Music]
now 24 tiffany says her innocence was
stolen
my life revolved around him
i had to be at his beck and call
constantly
and
the
more physically abusive part of that was
that
he
would rape me at least two to three
times a week
and i had to be available for that
and how long did that ordeal last
until i was 19.
what makes tiffany's story even worse is
that griffin was on the radar of
authorities for years
but instead of stopping him he was left
to abuse her and other vulnerable
children including at the launceston
general hospital where he worked at the
time
multiple complaints suggesting griffin
was a pedophile or lodged with police
and public sector agencies in tasmania
i ended up suffering a new decade
because they refused or disregarded
and just plainly didn't act on the
information they had
at the time
i was expected to put up with it by
everyone not just him
tasmanian police the launceston general
hospital and netball tasmania all failed
to act properly on tip-offs about
griffin
federal authorities were also tipped off
in 2015
that griffin was linked to child
exploitation material and was traveling
overseas with the minor
tiffany says border force officials
approached them here at melbourne
airport and took possession of both
their mobile phones
what was on yours and his foams
extremely
explosive and pornographic material of
myself for certain
um on my device and his device i know
for a fact that there
was a particular set of images and
videos
that
in were
he and i in his bedroom in his bed
and the video
the video
is
a recording of him
penetrating me and sexually assaulting
me
and
border force examining your phone
it would have it should have been clear
to them
that this was
images of child exploitation
absolutely my face was in some of those
photos and certainly
in the video and how old were you in
those photos in video
i was 15 in those particular ones how
old was he
he would have been around 64.
borderforce had an opportunity to
conduct a forensic phone search but
records show only a manual search of
griffin's phone was performed
tiffany believes they let a pedophile go
free
what did that mean for you
it meant that i still had years of abuse
to come
that i would never
be free of him
i would never have another opportunity
like that for
any authority in this state or this
country to help me
i was on my own
i had defend
for myself and
continued
to be raped by him
as
did others
griffin was free to roam and search for
other victims and instead of keeping him
away from vulnerable children in 2017 he
was transferred to tasmania's youth jail
ashley
[Music]
so they sent a suspected abuser
to a place with even more vulnerable
children a known abuser
no one knows if griffin abused any
children or teen inmates at ashley youth
jail
in 2019
tiffany bravely reported him to police
he was charged but killed himself before
he faced justice
when he took his life
did you feel cheated
yes
why
i
from the get-go from my very first
disclosure had
followed the process
the proper legal process and done
absolutely everything right
and in line with that process to ensure
we could get a sound conviction
and that he would be appropriately
punished for his crimes
and i never got that
and not a single one of his other
victims ever got that
and we never will
we
don't have a chance to get justice
because the system yet again
failed
griffin may have wanted the scandal of
his abuse to die with him
but tiffany wanted justice
last year she joined forces with ashley
whistleblower alicia who was also trying
to expose the failings of state agencies
to stop child abuse in tasmania
together they would make radical change
alicia was
the first person in the world
that
made me feel like i wasn't an alien
and
if i hadn't met alicia i wouldn't be
alive today
[Music]
tiffany and alicia have become the
public face for the battle against child
abuse in tasmania
in march last year after the scandal
about griffin and the ashley jail began
to leak then premier peter guttmann
called a commission of inquiry into
institutional abuse
months later he sat down with alicia did
you tell him that kids were being
assaulted raped bashed abused in ashley
yes and that he had a responsibility
to protect those kids he had a
responsibility to act
the following day at 12 p.m
he held a press conference to announce
that in three years
the center would be closed
it was a bittersweet victory for alicia
it's three more years that kids are
being put at risk inside ashley
she's hopeful the commission of inquiry
will eventually expose the abuse and
cover-ups
senior lawyer angela sadrinus is leading
a class action to sue the state of
tasmania on behalf of dozens of victims
who say they were abused inside ashley
detention centre we've got about 150
claimants who allege abuse at ashley and
really it just keeps growing we see more
and more people coming forward how can
more than 150 people allegedly be
seriously abused
and the state and ashley get away with
it
well they've gotten away with it up till
now
it's actually hard to fathom because
any human being the thought of a child
being abused is
is just so difficult to to deal with do
you think there's still predators
pedophiles in the system in tasmania
today absolutely
well apart from anything else we're
still getting quite contemporaneous
complaints
how does it happen um
[Music]
really across or all sections of the
system if you want to call it that
there are still gaps and there are still
failures
across the state 32 officials have been
stood down over sex abuse allegations
but until there are major reforms to
better protect children alicia and
tiffany don't feel safe enough to return
to live in tasmania
for now they find comfort in each
other's company and the shared
experiences of other victims and
whistleblowers
what has been the impact on you and your
family for speaking up
for the
young inmates at ashley
it's completely
upended and destroyed our lives
once i removed myself from the site they
said oh well it's not safe for you to go
back
and i thought well you've you've got
exactly what you wanted you know
i won't be reporting and causing trouble
for you any longer
but i i didn't stop
i kept escalating my reports you haven't
stopped no i can't
hello i'm liz hayes thanks for watching
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