Arnold Thomas & Becker has called on the Tasmanian government to accept responsibility following the sexual abuse of several young women who were abused as children by state employee James Geoffrey Griffin.

Arnold Thomas & Becker is acting for about 12 Griffin victims, who were targeted by the paedophile as patients of the Launceston General Hospital paediatric ward.

The firm also said the government had put forward an “outrageous defence” that some of its clients were not actually abused by Griffin – meaning they would need to prove they were in fact abused.

Abuse lawyer Kelly Schober said over the past week, the commission of inquiry had heard evidence demonstrating the LGH was aware of complaints against Griffin – but ignored them.

She said the evidence demonstrated the state government had failed to protect children in its care at the hospital – failing to intervene and enabling Griffin to continue using it as “his hunting ground”.

“The government needs to revisit its response to our allegations and the findings of the inquiry,” Ms Schober said.