(AUSTRALIA)
The Catholic Leader [Archdiocese of Brisbane, Australia]
June 17, 2026
By Staff Writers
BRISBANE Archdiocese has welcomed the state government’s announcement of the Queensland Protection Commission and its commitment of $250 million to strengthen the protection of children.
“The protection of children is a shared responsibility. It is also a sacred one,” Brisbane Archbishop Shane Mackinlay said.
The government will establish the new agency dedicated to strengthening the protection of children from sexual abuse, following a review that identified missed opportunities to stop one of Australia’s most prolific child sex offenders.
A report by the Child Death Review Board found there were more than 18 occasions where Ashley Paul Griffith’s offending may have been detected, disrupted or prevented earlier.
Griffith was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2024, with a non-parole period of 27 years, after pleading guilty to more than 300 offences committed over nearly two decades at childcare centres in Brisbane and Italy.
Attorney-General, Minister for Justice and Minister for Integrity Deb Frecklington said the reforms marked a major step forward in strengthening protections for Queensland children.
“These nation-leading reforms are about keeping children safer wherever they are, restoring confidence and strengthening safeguards,” Ms Frecklington said.
“This is about protecting vulnerable children who cannot protect themselves.
“I want to thank the children, families and survivors who courageously shared their experiences and helped shape this review.
“We are committed to ensuring Queensland leads the nation in child safeguarding and that children and families receive the protection and support they deserve.”
Archbishop Mackinlay commended the attorney-general and the government for placing prevention and early detection at the centre of their response to the In Plain Sight report.
“The reforms confront a clear and painful lesson. Harm is missed when information sits in silos and when warning signs are treated in isolation,” he said.
“Bringing Blue Card screening, the reportable conduct scheme and child safe standards together under one body is a sound and overdue step.
“So too is the new intelligence hub, designed to connect concerns that might otherwise go unseen.”
He said the archdiocese and its agencies, including Brisbane Catholic Education, Centacare and Catholic Early EdCare, worked every day to keep children safe.
“We support the reportable conduct scheme and welcome its commencement,” Archbishop Mackinlay said.
“We will engage constructively as the Commission is designed and established, and we will continue to do our part.
“We must never forget the children and families who have been harmed by past failures. Protecting today’s children is the reason this work matters.”
Child sexual abuse ‘widespread, hidden in plain sight’
Child Death Review Board chair Luke Twyford said In Plain Sight showed that child sexual abuse was not a rare event.
“It is widespread, persistent and often hidden in plain sight. It is a tragic reality that one in four children have experienced, or will experience, child sexual abuse unless something changes,” he said.
“The sexual abuse of children is a national problem.”
He said the reforms would position Queensland as the national leader in child safeguarding, establishing one of the most advanced prevention and threat-detection systems in Australia.
“My review identified clear opportunities to better connect information, strengthen accountability and improve the way risks are identified before children are harmed.
“No society should wait for abuse to occur before it reacts.
“Today’s announcement is important because it addresses a fundamental weakness identified by the review: that no single organisation had responsibility for bringing together information about emerging threats to children.
“The reforms announced in Queensland today establish clear leadership, stronger accountability and, for the first time, a dedicated safeguarding intelligence capability focused on identifying risks before they escalate.”