The Launceston General Hospital did not stop James Geoffrey Griffin from being the main nurse for a 16-year-old patient despite a complaint being raised about him contacting her by phone.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Kirsty Neilley described how the LGH failed to pick up on "a lot of red flags" with Griffin during her time in the hospital, and how he used various methods to avoid further suspicion.
She was first admitted to the hospital in 2015 and Griffin quickly became her main nurse, sharing his Facebook with her and messaging her. He told her not to tell anyone about it.
This was noticed, however, and a complaint was made.
"It was a late night, Jim called me up and he said that somebody had reported him for getting too close to me," Ms Neilley told the Commission of Inquiry on Monday.
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 think it was like the night nurse, or the nurse that was in charge, had told Jim that he was to stop contacting me so he gave me his phone number instead so it was just a random phone number come up on my screen instead of his Facebook name."
Nobody at the hospital spoke with Ms Neilley about the complaint.
Half a week later, Griffin became her main nurse again for the vast majority of her long-long admission. She said he would give her long hugs and kiss her at the end of his shifts.
He would take her on coffee runs, often to help collect drinks for other hospital staff.
She described "five or six times" when she would wake up in bed and Griffin would be leaning over her with his phone light on. It made her feel uncomfortable.
Griffin's behaviour escalates
Ms Neilley was discharged, but was readmitted a short time later and ended up in intensive care.
When she woke up, Griffin told her he had visited her a few times in ICU and claimed he had saved her life during her initial medical emergency. This made her feel like she "owed him", and contact continued.
Griffin escalated his communications with Ms Neilley while she was on a different ward by phone and text message.
In 2016 she was admitted for a third time, and Griffin became her nurse on the second day.
Ms Neilley described being in a hospital room with one other patient, but "for some reason" they did not use the adjoining bathroom.
She had a leg injury, and she said Griffin used a wheelchair to take her to a bathroom down a hall for her to shower.
After her shower, she could not find her clothes and the wheelchair was gone, so she claimed Griffin carried her semi-naked down a hall and back to the room.
Ms Neilley was asked whether anyone else was around at the time.
"I would say so, because it's a busy hospital," she said.
Even after she was discharged for a third time, Griffin continued to call and text her, and attended her wedding where he appeared in photographs with Ms Neilley and did not socialise with anyone else.
She recalled a later incident where they ran into each other in a supermarket and Griffin made reference to photographs he had of her.
She became concerned that he was not referring to the wedding, but other photos.
Ms Neilley said she felt let down when allegations against Griffin surfaced in 2019.
He had been charged with multiple child sex offences, and took his own life.
"There was a lot of red flags that people could have picked up on," she said.
"Obviously something was picked up on because there was a complaint.
"I just feel like it was really let down, that nothing actually happened."
The Commission of Inquiry had earlier heard evidence of how Griffin received at least three written warnings about him breaching professional boundaries with patients, but none resulted in disciplinary action and he remained on the paediatric ward 4K.
Managers at the LGH have said they had no training to detect grooming behaviour until after Griffin's death.
Sexual assault support services:
- Sexual Assault Support Service (Tasmania): 1800 697 877
- Lifeline (24-hour crisis line): 131 114
- Tasmania's Victims of Crime Service: 1300 300 238
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