A Hobart nurse who raped a colleague after falsely claiming he needed an emotional debrief has been banned from practising for 12 years and stripped of his registration.
Wyatt Griffin entered the woman’s bedroom in June 2022 under the pretence of needing support, before forcing himself on her.
The Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal last week cancelled Griffin’s registration and barred him from providing any health services until at least 2037.
He was convicted of rape in February 2024 and sentenced to four years’ jail, with a two-year non-parole period.
His victim, known as Ms A, was also a registered nurse.
In his sentencing remarks, Acting Justice Brian Martin said Griffin had callously abused a position of trust.
“You gained entry using the false pretence of needing a debrief, knowing that Ms A trusted you and would be sympathetic to your request,” he said.
“Once in the bedroom, when Ms A made it clear that she did not want to engage in any form of intimacy with you, you quickly decided to push ahead, notwithstanding that you knew Ms A was not consenting.”
“You callously disregarded Ms A’s wishes and forced yourself upon her. You violated her and you violated the sanctity and security of her home and bedroom.”
The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia brought professional misconduct charges against Griffin following his conviction and for failing to notify regulators on multiple occasions.
Griffin was charged in August 2022 but did not inform the board, as required within seven days under national health practitioner laws.
When renewing his registration nine months later, in May 2023, he declared he had no criminal history by answering “no” to questions about changes to his record.
Regulators only became aware of the charges in January 2024 through a separate notification, weeks before his conviction.
TASCAT said protecting the public and maintaining confidence in health practitioners were its top priorities in the case.
“… Given the seriousness of the respondent’s conduct … the tribunal should send a strong and clear message to practitioners and the public that such serious conduct will not be tolerated,” the decision stated.
Griffin resigned from the Royal Hobart Hospital in December 2023.
He was also ordered to pay 90% of the board’s legal costs and placed on the community protection offender register for five years after his release.
