A hospital staffer who worked alongside an alleged serial pedophile nurse in Tasmania says professional conduct concerns were brushed aside.
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An inquiry examining state government responses to child sexual abuse is this fortnight focusing on the health system, in particular former Launceston General Hospital nurse James Geoffrey Griffin.
Griffin took his own life in 2019 after being charged with multiple child sexual abuse offences.
The inquiry on Monday was told about a litany of documented boundary breaches by Griffin, including kissing young patients and carrying them semi-naked, during his almost two decades working at the hospital.
Tasmania Police in 2000 received a report about child sexual abuse material being found on Griffin's old computer but no evidence of the complaint being acted upon on could be found, the inquiry was told.
Will Gordon worked as a nurse on pediatric ward 4K with Griffin from 2016.
He indicated there was a culture of fear among staff about reporting the conduct of colleagues.
"It felt like concerns wouldn't be heard ... about certain people, in particular James Griffin. They would get brushed aside," he told the inquiry.
"If you spoke up there were reprisals for you."
Mr Gordon in 2017 made a formal complaint about Griffin after female teenage patients told him Griffin had given them "advice" on boys and "what they like".
Mr Gordon said he emailed a manager and entered a complaint on the department's reporting system but never heard anything back.
Shortly afterwards, Mr Gordon said Griffin left temporarily to work at the Ashley Youth Detention Centre, saying there were too many "dibber dobbers" on the ward.
Mr Gordon later went to the media with concerns about Griffin.
Coverage of the charges against Griffin was a major catalyst for the calling of the commission, which is set to deliver a final report by May.
The inquiry will on Tuesday hear from current and former department of health human resources staff.
Australian Associated Press