Josephine Greensill Was Wrongly Convicted Of Assaulting Her Students

Josephine Greensill Was Wrongly Convicted Of Assaulting Her Students

Author: Mamamia Podcasts September 30, 2026 Duration: 1:05:23

In March 2008, 57-year-old semi-retired schoolteacher Josephine Greensill opened her front door in suburban Melbourne to find three detectives waiting to arrest her. Two men had accused her of sexually abusing them at a backyard sleepover almost 30 years earlier, when they were eight-year-old boys in her class.

No medical experts were ever called, and the jury believed them. Jo spent two and a half years in prison as a convicted child sex offender before her conviction was quashed. The court found the men had colluded and had a financial motive, and that what they described was physically impossible.

Award-winning crime reporter Neil Mercer investigated her case, along with eight others, for his book Falsely Convicted. In this episode he tells Gemma about the common sense failures that sent an innocent woman to jail and what her life looked like once she was released. Neil also looks at the cases of Eric Honeysett framed by NSW police in 1983, and Gene Gibson's case.

LINKS

Purchase Falsely Convicted by Neil Mercer here.

We want to hear from you! Take our quick 3-minute survey for your chance to win a $1,000 gift card.

GET IN TOUCH

Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @truecrimeconversations

Want us to cover a case on the podcast? Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au or send us a voice note.

MAMAMIA OFFERS:

  • Get access to Very Peri, Mamamia's exclusive perimenopause series, for just $59. 25 world-leading experts, over 20 on-demand sessions, available now. We’ve sorted through the noise so you don't have to. Go to veryperi.com.au today. You hot? Same.

Make sure to leave us a rating and review on Apple & Spotify to let us know how you're liking the episodes. 

CREDITS

Host & Executive Producer: Gemma Bath

Guests: Paul Warren

Produced by Ella Maitland

Video Editor: Artemi Kokkaris

Audio Design: Tegan Sadler

Mamamia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we have recorded this podcast.

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


Gemma Bath hosts True Crime Conversations, a podcast from Mamamia Podcasts that delves into infamous criminal cases from Australia and around the world. Rather than just recounting facts, each episode is built around a direct conversation with someone who has a unique, often personal connection to the story. You might hear from a detective who worked the case, a journalist who covered the trial, a family member seeking answers, or a forensic expert who examined the evidence. This approach brings a tangible, human dimension to stories that can sometimes feel distant or sensationalised. The tone is engaging and thoughtful, focusing on the nuances and the people affected, rather than just the shock value. It’s for anyone who appreciates a deeper, more conversational entry into the true crime genre, where the emphasis is on understanding the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ from those who were actually there. Listening to this podcast feels like being part of a serious, yet accessible, discussion about some of the most compelling and complex crimes in recent history.
Author: Language: en-au Episodes: 50

True Crime Conversations
Podcast Episodes
After 34 Years We Finally Know Who Killed The Yoghurt Shop Girls [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:26
In 1991, a fire at an Austin yoghurt shop led firefighters to a scene so horrific it would haunt them forever: four teenage girls murdered in one of Texas’ most shocking crimes. The Yoghurt Shop Murders became a case tha…
Inside The World Of A Crime Scene Cleaner [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:01
What happens after police leave a crime scene? For six years, Donna Nayler was the person called in to deal with what remained. Wearing full protective gear, she cleaned some of the country’s most confronting scenes, fro…
UPDATE: The New Search For The Australia's Missing Family Cult [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:43
WA Police have acknowledged that earlier searches in the investigation into the Nannup Four were conducted in the wrong location. Retired detective Barry McIntosh, who has long pushed for answers in the case, believes th…
Katie Never Thought Her Partner Was Violent Until He Killed Her [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:51
29-year-old Katie Haley arrived home on a Friday night in March 2018 after a long shift at a Melbourne tavern. Her partner Shane had been messaging throughout the day, calls, accusations, jealousy, and control that had c…
Part 2: Nina Funnell Has A New Fight. This One Will Shock You [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:23
This is Part 2 of Nina Funnell’s story. You can listen to Part 1 here. Nina Funnell survived a violent assault as a young woman, fighting off her attacker and escaping to call the police. Although he was never found, the…
Part 1: Nina Funnell Has A New Fight. This One Will Shock You [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:15
Find Part 2 of this conversation with Nina Funnell here. Nina Funnell survived a violent assault as a young woman, fighting off her attacker and escaping to call the police. Although he was never found, the experience be…
The Young Mum Who Disappeared In The Blue Mountains [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:25
In January 1993, 20-year-old Tracey Valesini appeared at the Campbelltown Courthouse in Sydney for a legal matter. She was last seen sitting inside the courtroom that day. After that moment, Tracey was never heard from a…
How Natascha Kampusch Survived Eight Years In Captivity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:52
On March 2, 1998, 10-year-old Austrian girl Natascha Kampusch disappeared on her way to school. What followed was 3,096 days in captivity, hidden inside a soundproof cellar, cut off from the outside world and shaped by f…
Joe’s Chilling Escape From The 'Forgotten' Bali Bombing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:20:50
On October 1, 2005, terror struck Bali when three suicide bombings ripped through crowded restaurants in Jimbaran Bay and Kuta, killing 20 people and injuring more than 100. Among those caught in the blasts was 20-year-o…