A former primary school teacher, Jo Greensill, had her life shattered when she was imprisoned for over two years based on allegations of sexual abuse that were later deemed biologically impossible. Greensill, then 57 and semi-retired, was arrested in March 2008 over claims made by two former students, then 37, who alleged that she had engaged in sexual intercourse with them in a tent in her backyard in 1979 when they were eight years old.
Despite Greensill's consistent denials and the implausibility of the claims, she was charged with 21 counts of indecent assault. A jury found her guilty of nine offenses, leading to her sentencing in 2010 to five years in prison, with a minimum term of two years and eight months. She also faced being listed as a registered sex offender for 15 years.
Greensill's legal team, with the support of her sisters, worked to appeal the convictions. During the appeal process, the Court of Appeal judges questioned the prosecution's lack of expert medical evidence regarding the capacity of eight-year-old boys to produce semen or engage in sexual intercourse. One judge noted that the case "raises alarm bells" and that "on its face, this case... one reads it and says, 'Oh, come on, this can't be for real.'"
In 2012, the Court of Appeal overturned Greensill's convictions, ruling that the jury's verdicts were unsafe and unsatisfactory. The judges found it implausible that eight-year-old boys could have engaged in full sexual intercourse and noted the possibility of collusion between the complainants. Greensill was released from prison after serving two years, five months, and 13 days.
Subsequent expert medical reports confirmed the biological implausibility of the original allegations. A professor of paediatric surgery stated it would be "rarely physically possible" for an eight-year-old boy to have sexual intercourse and that semen production typically begins between 12 and 14 years of age. Another endocrinologist described the claims of ejaculation as "unlikely to the point of being completely impossible."
Despite being exonerated, Greensill did not receive compensation for her ordeal. Her applications for an ex-gratia payment were rejected by successive attorneys-general, who cited that compensation would only be made for financial loss directly resulting from government actions. As of October 2024, her latest application was also denied, with authorities stating that nothing had changed since previous rejections. Victoria Police investigated the complainants' conduct, but neither has been charged with perjury or conspiring to pervert the course of justice.
Greensill's case is featured in the book "Falsely Convicted" by investigative journalist Neil Mercer, which highlights nine lesser-known miscarriages of justice in Australia. Greensill, now 75, has expressed disappointment that her accusers have not faced charges and still wishes to understand their motives.