They were the town heroes, the people who dominate every sphere and rule every room. But the rot set in when they used their power to groom whole communities and hurt the most vulnerable. How did they go undetected for so long? And why were credible reports buried for so many years? From Tasmania and beyond, this podcast series reveals the conditions these bad apples need to thrive across communities and what happens to the whistleblowers who refuse to look the other way. Search 'Rotten Apple' i...
Oct 01, 2024•13 min•Ep. 15
Camille sits down with Grace Tame, 2021 Australian of the Year, to discuss what the Australian Federal Police have described as its biggest law enforcement challenge, child sexual abuse. It has been a headline issue in Grace’s home state of Tasmania for years with a recent Commission of Inquiry and high-profile cases in the press. Grace is candid about the challenges of having a high profile as an advocate, and victim survivor, who is still unpacking the complex trauma of her own experiences. Im...
Mar 27, 2024•35 min•Ep. 14
This episode is a dive into some high profile cases that made headlines in Tasmania over the past few decades. There were rumours of organised pedophilia as early as the 1970s and politicians calling for a Royal Commission into alleged rings of predators in 2003. These cases inform some of the ongoing concerns around organised child sexual abuse in Tasmania - and calls for a thorough review into the issue are only getting louder. What needs to happen to get some answers? Some key people we refer...
Mar 21, 2024•28 min•Ep. 13
Launceston General Hospital has dominated the headlines in recent years in Tasmania, with a wave of horror stories. But as staff at the Royal Hobart see matters unfold publicly up north, they were fighting to be heard on the south end of the Apple Island too. Some key people we refer to in this episode of the podcast and who they are: Amanda Duncan - whistleblower nurse Launceston General Hospital Gracie - whistleblower nurse Royal Hobart Hospital Jeremy Rockliffe - Premier of Tasmania Dr Peter ...
Mar 14, 2024•37 min•Ep. 12
Since we first named the nurse offending on the pediatric ward in Launceston General Hospital, our investigation snowballed into alleged offending across Tasmanian institutions, including the hospital, youth prison and schools. This episode takes a brief dip into the Commission of Inquiry and what happened when health executives and others took the stand to account for their role in a catastrophic failure of child safety. Some key people we refer to in this episode of the podcast and who they ar...
Mar 07, 2024•33 min•Ep. 11
The Commission of Inquiry into Tasmanian Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has handed down its final report. Copy into your browser or tap this link https://www.commissionofinquiry.tas.gov.au/report which delves into matters including key cases covered in the podcast to date. Season 2 is on its way in the new year. Tap the follow button in your podcast app and you'll get the new episodes as soon as they publish, and feel free to rate, review, comment and contact Camille at - thenurse...
Nov 10, 2023•42 sec•Ep. 10
On December 17 2020, the Tasmanian Government released a draft for the Terms of Reference for its Commission of Inquiry into Childhood Sexual Abuse in Institutions. Basically this document is a guide as to what a Commission (think of it as a court) will investigate. It's hugely important to know the scope of what will be investigated, to ensure that if we have concerns (say over cover-ups, not just the abuse of children), that it is a focus + that any recommendations address a range of issues th...
Dec 22, 2020•32 min•Ep. 9
It started with a phone call, sent by the whistle blower I had intended you to meet. I wanted to wrap series one of The Nurse with a neat bow, ending it the way it began. But life is messy and things aren't black and white, so this isn't the episode I intended to write. Maybe one day we will meet them, but for now, it is enough that they told me one summer night and triggered all that has happened since. Like a Commission of Inquiry... Tasmania Police are ready to deal with reports that relate t...
Dec 01, 2020•40 min•Ep. 8
Jim Griffin worked as a maintenance officer at the University of Tasmania for around a decade in the 80s and 90s. So why is that relevant now? And what does it mean for those who were on the campus when he had the keys? Tasmania Police are ready to deal with reports that relate to any criminal activity, historic or ongoing, but only those that include other perpetrators. Call them on 131 444 Anyone struggling with their mental health and feelings of suicidal ideation or depression can call LIFEL...
Nov 24, 2020•45 min•Ep. 7
An independent Inquiry has been announced into the matter of James Griffin and his alleged abuses at Launceston General Hospital. But some say it doesn't go far enough - we need a Royal Commission. We then go back in history, for clues as to what may happen next. Tasmania Police are ready to deal with reports that relate to any criminal activity, historic or ongoing, but only those that include other perpetrators. Call them on 131 444 Anyone struggling with their mental health and feelings of su...
Nov 17, 2020•38 min•Ep. 6
Jim Griffin didn't spend all his time as a children's nurse on ward 4K. He also worked at Ashley Youth Detention Centre, a place characterised as "the perfect setting to prey on vulnerable kids." Let's go inside. Tasmania Police are ready to deal with reports that relate to any criminal activity, historic or ongoing, but only those that include other perpetrators. Call them on 131 444 Anyone struggling with their mental health and feelings of suicidal ideation or depression can call LIFELINE AUS...
Nov 10, 2020•36 min•Ep. 5
How did a Launceston nurse prey on children for almost 20 years on ward 4K? He was enabled. Reports come flowing in from a shocked community. We start to find out who knew what. We also hear about a newly-announced Independent Investigation on the actions of James Griffin at Launceston General Hospital, launched by the Tasmanian Government. Tasmania Police are ready to deal with reports that relate to any criminal activity, historic or ongoing, but only those that include other perpetrators. Cal...
Nov 03, 2020•46 min•Ep. 4
5 brave people have come forward and laid charges against Jim and the police are uncovering a trail of disturbing evidence. The trial date is imminent. Only, Jim will never go to court. As far as the courts are concerned, it's the end. Tasmania Police are ready to deal with reports that relate to any criminal activity, historic or ongoing, but only those that include other perpetrators. Call them on 131 444 Anyone struggling with their mental health and feelings of suicidal ideation or depressio...
Oct 27, 2020•40 min•Ep. 3
Keelie McMahon has a secret. It's the thing she's kept from her family for years, she didn't want to hurt anyone by telling it. But what happens to the nurse when it comes out? Tasmania Police are ready to deal with reports that relate to any criminal activity, historic or ongoing, but only those that include other perpetrators. Call them on 131 444 Anyone struggling with their mental health and feelings of suicidal ideation or depression can call LIFELINE AUSTRALIA 13 11 14 Locals can reach Lau...
Oct 20, 2020•51 min•Ep. 2
In a quiet town in Tasmania, James Griffin was the kind of person you would trust to look after your kids. As a pediatric nurse, netball medic and grandfatherly figure in the community, people trusted him. At work he was "Just Jim", but he was he hiding something? Tasmania Police are ready to deal with reports that relate to any criminal activity, historic or ongoing, but only those that include other perpetrators. Call them on 131 444 Anyone struggling with their mental health and feelings of s...
Oct 13, 2020•37 min•Ep. 1
A nurse lives in a quiet town in Tasmania, Australia. He spends his life working with children and is the ultimate father figure, but he has a dark secret. People who still hold positions of power protected him. They are still protecting others. Through episodes published in 2020 and 2021 you'll hear from childhood sexual assault survivors sharing their stories for the first time, and know that there are countless others waiting to be heard. Through 2024, our investigation continues..... See omn...
Oct 07, 2020•55 sec
