In late 2020, then-premier Peter Gutwein, under increasing pressure as allegations relating to three departments mounted, announced a commission of inquiry to investigate the Tasmanian government's responses to child sexual abuse in state institutions.
Fast-forward to 2022, the inquiry sat for three weeks in Hobart and two weeks in Launceston.
There will again be a week of hearings in August at the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal in Hobart.
The commission of inquiry is like a royal commission, with the power to call witnesses and obtain documents, but doesn't have any powers to prosecute. It can refer matters to relevant authorities.
It's an independent inquiry examining the state government's responses to child sexual abuse in state institutions like schools, hospitals and the Ashley Youth Detention Centre.
How can I watch it?
Hearings are open to the public and the media can report proceedings, subject to any legal orders covering the hearings and the identity of witnesses.
You can see it in person at the hearing venues. The hearings are also being recorded and live-streamed.
Documents, witness statements and transcripts are also being made available.
What has the inquiry heard?
Before the inquiry started, Tasmanians were warned the content would be distressing.
Here's what we've heard so far:
Justice system
- Tasmania's state lawyers play a key role in child sexual abuse cases — do they have too much power?
- Leah thought she had an 'affair' with her teacher — then one conversation changed everything
- Police admit 'further effort could have been made' in hunt for paedophile
Health Department
- Health boss 'personally horrified' by abuse stories
- 'He had me fooled': Angelique takes her turn to tell of the abuse
- 'Hard to find words to say how sorry I am': Apology for abuse survivors comes too late for Zoe
- Inquiry hears of paedophile Griffin's 'red flags' while caring for teenage female patient
- Analysis: Victims of abuse by Launceston nurse have been sounding alarms for years, but are they finally being heard?
- 'Significant changes' to management flagged as child abuse fallout continues at hospital
- Nursing supervisor's tearful evidence over notorious paedophile in children's ward
- Kylee knew there was a paedophile in the children's ward — then her own child got sick
- 'I'm that little boy': Abuse survivor tells of confronting hospital manager who was told of alleged abuse
- Child abuse material found on Griffin's laptop decades before he was charged
- 'He groomed the whole family': Kim says no alarm bells rang when she left her daughter with James Griffin
- 'No-one was listening': Mother says hospital ignored her when daughter left with now-notorious paedophile nurse
Out-of-home care
- Tasmanian child safety head 'not confident' children in out-of-home care are safe
- Brett never felt unsafe with his father, but he was taken away anyway — and it 'destroyed his life'
- Azra was sexually abused in her foster home and government workers did nothing, commission hears
- Aboriginal children over-represented in out-of-home care and community ignored, commission hears
- 'We should have been removed': Witness tells sex abuse inquiry of grooming in foster care
- Workplace culture could be why detention centre staff have 'unfavourable views about children', commission hears
- 'They were right': Manager of child protection reform told nothing would change and she was wasting her time
Education Department
- 'She is my saviour': Rachel's mother reported and protected her from abuse when her school didn't
- Analysis: Commission of inquiry exposes systemic failings that allowed child sex abuse to happen
- As a 12yo student, Sam was told to 'stop' relationship with sexually abusive teacher
- Education Department misled regulators about sexually abusive teacher, inquiry hears
- Kerri was abused by her teacher as a child. For years, she tried to stop him from teaching
- Rachel reported a teacher had sexually abused her. She later learned he was given a position in another school
- Education Department misled regulators about sexually abusive teacher, inquiry hears
- As a 12yo student, Sam was told to 'stop' relationship with sexually abusive teacher
- Abuse inquiry hears victim was refused meeting with Jeremy Rockliff 16 times
Other
