Queensland’s attorney general says the final steps to extradite notorious child abuser Ashley Paul Griffith to face charges in NSW are now in the hands of the courts, after his appeal against a life sentence failed last week.
The settlement of the matter, which relates to his long-running offense against 69 girls, will allow Griffith to face legal proceedings in NSW where he is accused of sexually assaulting more than 20 children.
Speaking at a Queensland Media Club event to explain his government’s response for inspection in failure in the case and the system more broadlyAttorney General Deb Frecklington said Griffith would now end up in NSW.
“Griffith has now he has lost his appealand he’ll end up in NSW facing charges down there too,” he said, describing it as a “bad job”.
Pressed for more details on the plans, Frecklington said any transfer still needs to be signed off by the court, but the respective governments have done everything they needed to make it happen.
“The Attorney General of the state (Michelle Rowland), the Attorney General of NSW (Michael Daley), and I have taken the steps we can to get him transferred,” he said.
When asked how any transfer could happen, Frecklington said only that this would happen “soon”, stressing that the final decision was up to the courts.
Usually, prisoners are not transferred until they have served their full sentence and pending legal matters are completed.
Under Queensland law, such transfer orders can be made by a judge after a hearing involving the prisoner’s legal representatives and the attorney general.
A judge can refuse to issue such an order if it is considered harsh, not in the interest of justice, or the charges faced by another authority are minor.
Family members of Griffith’s alleged victims in NSWand that state the longest-serving child abuse investigatorthey have pressed for the person to be returned as soon as possible to avoid delaying justice.
Frecklington previously told Daley he had no objection to Griffith being transferred after the appeals process was completed.
Griffith’s sentence came after he pleaded guilty to 307 state and federal charges involving 69 girls, including rape, sexual assault, indecent assault and child exploitation.
In NSW, he faces 180 charges of offenses committed while employed at a Sydney childcare centre.
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Matt Dennien is a Brisbane Times reporter covering state, parliamentary and public sector politics. He has previously worked in Tasmanian newspapers and Brisbane community radio station 4ZZZ. Contact him safely on Waves @mattdennien.15Connect through email address.
