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

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CREDITS

Host & Executive Producer: Gemma Bath

Guests: Paul Warren

Produced by Ella Maitland

Video Editor: Artemi Kokkaris

Audio Design: Tegan Sadler

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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

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