Queensland’s attorney general, Yvette D’Ath, has acknowledged new laws allowing the naming of alleged sex offenders will affect alleged victims, after the identity of a childcare worker accused of being one of Australia’s worst paedophiles was revealed.
Under new legislation that came into effect this week, Ashley Paul Griffith, 45, was named by media outlets on Tuesday as the Gold Coast man charged with 1,623 sexual abuse offences against children in Brisbane, Sydney and overseas.
The Australian federal police revealed in August that a former childcare worker had been arrested after officers had identified bed sheets in the background of alleged abuse material posted on the dark web.
D’Ath was asked on Wednesday about the case and the affect the new legislation will have on alleged victims.
“This is why it was important that we had a media guide because the reporting of these … alleged offences will have implications for [alleged] victims, potentially even victims who have never come forward,” D’Ath told reporters.
“It is really important that the media follows those guides and understand the importance of being … factually correct in what is being reported and making sure it is not being sensationalised because there will be consequences.”
D’Ath said the government had done everything it could to balance the rights of defendants and complainants.
“[Part of] these new laws is that complainants can also have a say on any applications for non-publication for themselves … it’s really important that we give complainants that right to have a say,” she said.
“If the court decides not to [allow media] to publish [their name], it’s because of the reasons that have been given to them. There are reasons why certain names, certain individuals, will not be named.”
Queensland passed laws in September to allow the naming of accused sex offenders after they are charged. The laws were a recommendation of the women’s safety and justice taskforce and brought the state into line with most other states and territories.
In parliament last month, D’Ath said stressed the laws were important as “rape myths have no place in our society”.
“Rape and sexual assault are some of the most underreported criminal offences in Australia and we want to support victims to come forward and hold perpetrators to account,” she said.
