Netball was supposed to be a safe space for Tiffany Skeggs.
Warning: The following story includes content that may distress some readers.
Bouncing onto the outdoor courts on frosty mornings in Launceston, northern Tasmania, the naturally talented netballer was in her element.
After losing her dad in a fatal car accident a few years earlier, Tiffany found happiness on these courts — joy she thought nobody would be able to steal away.
"I would never have perceived that that would be where I met my greatest threat," she said.
The threat was disguised as an upstanding citizen.
He was a volunteer medic and masseur at the Northern Tasmanian Netball Association, who also worked as a nurse on the children's ward of the Launceston General Hospital.
James Geoffrey Griffin was 58.
Tiffany Skeggs was 11 years old.
"It was a predator in his playground," Ms Skeggs said.
Ms Skeggs said the sexual abuse started with long hugs and kissing, and quickly escalated.
Sometimes Griffin would pick her up for netball on Saturday mornings, and on the way there he would park his car and molest her.
He also sexually abused her in the first aid room at the netball precinct while he was on duty.
She said the first time she remembers being raped by Griffin was at his home when she was 15 years old.
The abuse occurred regularly, over several years, and at various locations.
According to the brief of evidence given to prosecutors by Tasmania Police, obtained by Ms Skeggs through a Right to Information request, Griffin also took sexually explicit photos of her and sent them to an associate.
It stated also that Griffin told a close associate about his offending against Ms Skeggs and abused her at parties hosted by associates of his.
Ms Skeggs said she was groomed to believe she was Griffin's only victim, until one day in 2019 she saw him surrounded by children at the netball courts.
"Something in me just clicked," she said.
"I didn't have a choice anymore.
Government groans in parliament cause distress
Ms Skeggs did not know it at the time, but her decision to report the abuse would be the beginnings of Tasmania's version of a royal commission, which continues to uncover shocking allegations of child sexual abuse.
The Commission of Inquiry has given Ms Skeggs hope.
But the groans of Tasmanian government MPs in the state's parliament last week left her wondering how committed the Tasmanian government is to the Inquiry.
The questions asked by Opposition Leader Rebecca White, which related to government transparency and the Commission of Inquiry, were asked on Ms Skeggs's behalf.
"It was obviously extremely distressing to listen to," Ms Skeggs said.
"The public cannot be expected to have confidence in ministers who have clearly demonstrated an abhorrent disregard for the safety of children."
Ms Skeggs said she wanted all the government ministers who reacted disrespectfully to be identified and reprimanded.
Premier Peter Gutwein emailed Ms Skeggs to "unreservedly apologise" on behalf of the government for the offence that was caused by the behaviour in parliament.
Tasmanian Premier reveals childhood sexual abuse
When asked by a reporter about whether he would discipline members of his own party who were heard groaning, Mr Gutwein responded with a revelation about his own experience with childhood sexual abuse.
He said he was 16 years old when he was assaulted by a former teacher.
"I'm the first premier of this state that has taken the steps to have a Commission of Inquiry," he said.
Ms Skeggs said she empathised with all victims who had suffered from childhood sexual abuse.
"It is absolutely horrific, and while I empathise and appreciate the actions that the Premier has attempted to take so far, I certainly feel there is still a lot of work to be done," she said.
"The Premier still has a job to do, and I as a victim-survivor along with every other victim-survivor out there, deserve answers to the questions that I have asked.
"We deserve to see action taken, we deserve integrity, and we deserve respect."
Grief and fear followed Griffin's suicide
Following Ms Skeggs's police report in 2019, Griffin continued to work as a paediatric nurse at Launceston General Hospital for three months.
During that time, four more women contacted Tasmania Police and alleged Griffin had sexually abused them as children, in complaints ranging from the 1980s through to 2012.
Griffin was charged in September 2019 with multiple child sex offences, including maintaining a sexual relationship with a person under the age of 17 – an offence which has since been renamed persistent sexual abuse of a child.
Police also found a significant amount of child exploitation material at Griffin's home.
During a formal police interview, Griffin admitted to criminal sexual misconduct and admitted he had met Ms Skeggs through a local sporting group.
After being granted bail, Griffin took his own life.
"That was the moment that tore me apart," Ms Skeggs said.
"I was grieving. I was fearful.
"After knowing about the near 40 years of abuse that children had suffered at the hands of this man, they let him walk free into our community."
'Failed by our system'
An internal review of police actions relating to Griffin found Tasmania Police received four 'Information Reports' about him in 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015.
The 2013 report related to concerns someone had raised about Griffin inappropriately touching and grooming Ms Skeggs.
According to the review, the matter was referred by police to the state's child safety service.
"Griffin and the potential victim [Ms Skeggs] were spoken to by CFS about the allegations and both denied that there was any inappropriate behaviour," the report stated.
"CFS closed the file and police took no further action."
More than 100 pages of documents recently uncovered by a Right to Information request made by freelance journalist Camille Bianchi showed there were also records of staff complaints, reports and email correspondence relating to Griffin's behaviour while he worked on Ward 4K.
The Tasmania Health Service argued against the release of the documents, citing privacy issues, concern for the mental health of Griffin's friends, family and former colleagues, and fears publicising such information could deter people from making similar reports in the future.
"It's hard to describe just how much I and so many others have been failed by our system, and the amount of red flags that were both there for people to see and raised is just incomprehensible," Ms Skeggs said.
"There is no way that had they acted appropriately and responsibly and proportionately, would I have suffered a near-decade worth of extremely prolific child sex abuse.
"I could have had a life then, that I'm only just starting to find now."
A Tasmanian government spokeswoman said the Commission of Inquiry was established to "understand the failures of the past and ensure they were never repeated".
"We are absolutely committed to shining a light on these issues to ensure a better and safer future for our young people," the spokeswoman said in a statement.
"The Department of Health has actively supported the Commission of Inquiry and provided all relevant information to assist the Commission in its investigation.
"The Department has also reviewed its internal processes for dealing with allegations of child sexual abuse, implementing a framework within Human Resources to ensure that all necessary steps and key notifications are made within appropriate timeframes, and that appropriate support services are provided to all parties."
Allegations continued to mount
The allegations against Griffin have continued to mount since Ms Skeggs came forward.
Kim Price from Arnold Thomas and Becker Lawyers said he was representing 10 people with abuse allegations between 2004 and 2018, who say Griffin abused them while they were patients at the Launceston General Hospital.
"My clients and their parents are alleging that the hospital was aware of Griffin's offending and propensity to abuse in many cases long before they themselves suffered the abuse," Mr Price said.
"My clients are pursuing their claims on the basis that the duty of care owed to them by the hospital was breached, and as a result of that breach they have suffered significant injuries and as a result are seeking damages."
According to a coronial report into Griffin's death, police found indecent images of children, apparently taken in his role as a paediatric nurse, on his electronic devices.
A Department of Health spokesman said in a statement that it would not be appropriate to comment.
"While this is a very distressing issue for anyone impacted, this matter is currently subject to a Commission of Inquiry," he stated.
"We encourage anyone with any information to contact the Commission of Inquiry office."
Griffin had 'strong and profound smokescreen'
Ms Skeggs's high school principal Shireen Thomas remembered her as a talented all-rounder who was loved by school staff and her peers.
"When I first met Tiffany, I was struck by her very vibrant sparkling personality," Ms Thomas said.
Ms Thomas said she believed Griffin's charismatic personality and status in the community allowed him to continue the abuse.
She remembered seeing Griffin collecting Ms Skeggs from school on Friday afternoons.
"But he would always hop out of the car and have a conversation, as though he was there as a carer, as a nurturer – as somebody who had absolutely good intent.
"He had a very strong and profound smokescreen and an absolute confidence in the way he would engage with not just me but other people in public forums in our community."
Ms Skeggs said schools should educate students, staff, and parents about grooming.
"It can be influential, powerful and authoritative people who spend a great deal of time planning their approach.
"They are calculated and cunning."
In April 2015, Griffin took Ms Skeggs — who was 17 at the time — to Gallipoli.
Before they left, Ms Skeggs was pictured in the local newspaper holding a wreath and discussing her upcoming trip which she was going on with a "father figure".
Ms Skeggs said on May 9, she and Griffin were stopped at Melbourne Airport by officers on their way home to Tasmania, who searched through their belongings and electronic devices.
Ms Skeggs said they were not given an explanation for the search, but she believed the officers were from Australian Border Force (ABF).
She said that their phones contained sexual images of herself from the trip and years earlier, but nothing was mentioned.
"And at the conclusion of all of that, they came back to us, gave us our phones and our bags back," she said.
"Upon our arrival in Tasmania, I never heard another word about it. It was like it just never happened."
A spokesman for the ABF said that due to privacy reasons, the organisation "cannot comment on engagement with specific individuals".
"For matters related to suspected child exploitation, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) has primacy from a Commonwealth law enforcement perspective," the spokesman said.
"The ABF actions alerts on individuals at the border on behalf of the AFP and other law enforcement agencies, ensuring responsible agencies are advised of relevant passenger movements and of the outcomes of any interventions made on their behalf."
The AFP told the ABC: "This is not a matter for the AFP, please refer your enquiry to ABF."
Commission of Inquiry brings hope
After Griffin's death, civil action and the national redress scheme revealed more allegations of child sexual abuse by other perpetrators within other Tasmanian government agencies.
Following mounting public pressure, Premier Peter Gutwein announced a commission of inquiry in November 2020 to investigate Tasmanian government agencies' responses to allegations of child sexual abuse.
It has already prompted shocking allegations of widespread abuse, including that former child detainees at Tasmanian's youth detention centre were sexually abused by 55 former workers inside the controversial facility.
As outlined in the Commission's opening addresses, the inquiry will examine how complaints against Griffin were handled and whether appropriate action was taken in response.
Counsel assisting the Commission, Maree Norton, said uncomfortable questions would be raised, including "whether the response of persons and institutions to allegations of child sexual abuse in health settings might have involved negligence, wilful blindness or, worse still, deliberate cover-up".
Ms Skeggs sat at the opening hearing holding hands with her friend Alysha, a clinical consultant for the Tasmanian State Service who has been called as a witness to give evidence to the inquiry about alleged child abuse at Ashley Youth Detention Centre.
After feeling like her chances of seeing justice and accountability were dashed when Griffin killed himself, Ms Skeggs said the inquiry's opening address filled her with hope.
"I have no doubt that their recommendations will lead to some serious law reform and systemic changes."
But Ms Skeggs urged the state government to act now, and not wait until the end of the Commission of Inquiry.
"The state government can at the very least implement the remaining recommendations of the Royal Commission now," she said.
"They can close the Ashley Youth Detention Centre (AYDC) now."
The Tasmanian government is yet to implement more than 100 of the recommendations from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
A government spokeswoman said the government was "continuing to progress important work to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission, with 195 now completed and a further 90 currently being progressed".
In September, Mr Gutwein said AYDC was expected to be closed in around three years.
The spokeswoman said action had been taken to address identified issues across government, including by "establishing the Office of Safeguarding Children and Young People within the Department of Education, which is reviewing and amending a range of child sexual abuse-related policies, procedures and protocols".
The statement said Tasmania Police had also made changes, including developing guidelines for child sexual abuse notifications and investigations.
The Northern Tasmanian Netball Association declined to answer any of the ABC's questions.
Speaking out so others feel less alone
When Ms Skeggs met Alysha, also a child sexual abuse victim-survivor, she felt understood and less alone for the very first time.
She hoped by speaking out, other victim-survivors would also feel supported to come forward.
"I want every other person out there – child, victim-survivor, parent – to know that they are not alone," she said.
"This journey is harrowing but you are not walking this path alone.
"Little Tiff had no-one there standing up for her and protecting her at her most vulnerable.
"But I can confidently say to my younger self now, I've got your back and I will fight this.
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