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New South Wales’ most seasoned child abuse investigator is advocating for the prosecution of Australia’s most notorious daycare predator within the state.
Detective Chief Inspector Peter Yeomans is set to retire on Friday after 45 distinguished years in law enforcement. Before stepping down, he’s determined to see Ashley Paul Griffith face charges for allegedly abusing 23 children at a childcare facility in Sydney.
“Children are incredibly important, and as victims, they deserve our utmost efforts and need a voice,” Yeomans emphasized.
“It’s crucial that we bring him here to face justice,” he added.
Griffith is currently serving a minimum of 27 years in prison for the abuse of 69 young girls at daycare centers throughout Queensland.
However, he is yet to face 180 criminal charges for the alleged abuse of 23 child victims under his care at Explore and Develop Camperdown from 2014 to 2017.
Police informed all affected families three years ago, however they need Griffith to face court for closure.
“It’s not good, it’s quite horrible actually,” Yeomans said.
“We’ve got to be mindful of these families where it just continues.
“It’s another Christmas where they don’t get closure. It’s another Christmas where they just want to move on with their lives.”
A formal request for a prisoner transfer has been lodged, however Griffith cannot be brought into NSW until his sentence appeal in Queensland has concluded.
”We’ve been liaising closely with the attorney-general to make that work in the quickest time that we can,” Yeomans said.
Yeomans will be remembered for 25 years of dedication to the child abuse squad.
As a member of the squad, he helped bring a cold case killer to justice 30 years after the gay hate murder of Scott Johnson.
The child abuse squad is on track to take down 600 child abusers this year alone.
“If we don’t do something about them, they will continue with these types of crimes. They are recidivist offenders who prey on the very, very vulnerable of our society.”