In 2011, a Launceston General Hospital social worker disclosed an allegation to human resources that James Geoffrey Griffin had sexually abused her as a child, but a HR consultant claims he cannot remember the meeting.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The disclosure went nowhere.
There was no file note found on a computer.
Griffin kept working with children on LGH paediatric ward 4K for another eight years.
Kylee Pearn made the disclosure after seeing Griffin still working on the ward, fearing for the ongoing safety of children. She had a meeting with HR along with her manager Stewart Millar, who believed it would be handled appropriately afterwards.
The other person they said was almost certainly at the meeting taking notes - former Health Department HR consultant Luigino Fratangelo - claims he has no recollection of it.
More on the James Geoffrey Griffin hearings:
- Concern after concern, but why did Griffin's manager not act for 11 years?
- The Griffin evidence that was ignored in 2000, before he even worked with children
- One LGH nurse's battle to make James Griffin story public
- LGH worker disclosed Griffin abuse in 2011, so what happened next?
- Department described Griffin comments to girls, 14, as 'well intended'
- How the LGH collectively failed Zoe Duncan and her family
"I can't remember that meeting, being at that meeting, or of that meeting," he told the Commission of Inquiry.
"I may have been there, from what I've read from Mr Millar's two documents and Ms [Pearn's] document.
"So maybe I was there. I can't remember it."
Ms Pearn earlier described being highly unsatisfied with the meeting, so much so that it had a "profound impact on her". She said she was told there was nothing the department could do unless there was a criminal conviction against Griffin.
She still believed she had given enough information to HR for at least some action to be taken, but nothing happened.
Given Mr Fratangelo claims he could not remember the meeting, he was instead asked what he would have done if he were there. He confirmed he would have told Ms Pearn she needed to go to police, and they could not do anything under department processes until Griffin was charged.
This included being unable to have him removed from the children's ward at that stage.
"In essence, I would have said these are the two provisions that we've got and this is where it fits if he's charged, yes," Mr Fratangelo said.
Counsel assisting Elizabeth Bennett SC asked whether Mr Fratangelo would have considered this a "significant matter".
"It is," he said.
"I can remember clearly some things, many things, but for whatever reason I can't remember this."
What happened after the HR meeting?
The Commission of Inquiry compelled documentation from the department about Griffin, but no file notes were found with HR about this meeting.
Mr Fratangelo said it was his practice at the time to take file notes, and he might have written it down somewhere.
"I would have made a note back on a computer, typed up a note, met with who I met with, whoever, yeah I would have thought so," he said.
"If I made a file note it would be on the computer somewhere."
Ms Bennett said solicitors would look into the "search parameters" to find that file note on Mr Fratangelo's computer, if it exists.
He confirmed there was an incident in which some of his HR colleagues "lost" their emails.
He also said the HR team would meet "informally" to discuss what they were working on for the day, but these meetings would not be documented.
When asked if he would have mentioned the meeting with Ms Pearn and Mr Millar to his manager, he was unsure.
"I guess it's fair to say I would have expected a note to be made of the meeting," Mr Fratangelo said.
"Equally I would have expected ... I would have spoken to my manager about the meeting if I was there."
The only time he remembers the meeting being mentioned was in either late 2020 or early 2021 when Health Department HR manager James Bellinger asked him about it.
Mr Millar said he was "99 per cent sure" that Mr Bellinger was also at the meeting, but he denies this.
Mr Fratangelo confirmed he and Mr Bellinger had communicated with each other both the day before, and morning of, Mr Fratangelo's evidence to the Commission of Inquiry on Wednesday.
Ms Bennett requested a copy of this correspondence.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark www.examiner.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter: @examineronline
- Follow us on Instagram: @examineronline
- Follow us on Google News: The Examiner