Alleged childcare paedophile Ashley Paul Griffith attacked in Queensland jail

Gold Coast man, 45, reportedly had hot water thrown in his face by fellow prisoner on Friday and was taken to hospital for assessment

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A man accused of being one of Australia’s worst paedophiles has been hospitalised after he was attacked inside a high-security Brisbane jail by a fellow prisoner.

Queensland police are investigating the alleged assault of Ashley Paul Griffith inside Wolston Correctional Centre on Friday. Griffith reportedly had scalding water thrown in his face and was taken to hospital suffering burns.

Giffith has been charged with 1,623 sexual offences against children at childcare centres in Brisbane, Sydney and overseas.

The prisoner who allegedly attacked Griffith is also alleged to have punched high-profile prisoner Brett Peter Cowan – a child sex offender who was found guilty of murdering Queensland schoolboy Daniel Morcombe in 2003.

Wolston Correctional Centre has a capacity of 600 prisoners and houses most of Queensland’s “protected” prison population, including men charged or convicted of serious sexual offences.

A spokesperson for Queensland Corrective Services told the Courier Mail that one prisoner – believed to be Griffith – had been taken to hospital for assessment while another – believed to be Cowan – was assessed by medical staff.

“No officers were injured in the incident,” the spokesperson said.

The Queensland police service told Guardian Australia that detectives were investigating two assault complaints from within the prison.

The attack occurred days after Griffith, 45, was publicly identified as the childcare worker charged after a major Australian federal police investigation.

Griffith was able to be named after changes to Queensland law that had previously protected the identities of people accused of sexual offences after they had been charged with a crime.

Previously, accused people could only be named after they were committed to stand trial.

Griffith faces charges of abusing and raping 91 prepubescent girls from 2007 to 2022. Charge sheets reveal he is accused of abusing up to seven different girls in a single month.

The AFP alleges the offending took place in 10 childcare centres in Brisbane between 2007 and 2013 and between 2018 and 2022; an overseas location in 2013 and 2014; and one centre in Sydney between 2014 and 2017.

Griffith worked at other childcare centres but is not alleged to have offended at those centres. He is yet to enter a plea and is next due to face Brisbane magistrates court on 20 November.

In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, family or domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000. International helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org.

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