In Memory of Zoe
In 2001, Zoe Duncan — then just 11 years old — was allegedly sexually assaulted by a doctor at the Launceston General Hospital’s emergency department. Despite making immediate disclosures to her father and subsequently to six different people, including health professionals, Zoe’s accounts were met with scepticism and disbelief.
Hospital management questioned her credibility. The family was silenced and disempowered at every turn, while the alleged perpetrator was permitted to continue working. A child safety officer led the investigation instead of police; no witnesses were sought and the doctor’s denial was accepted without proper scrutiny.
The trauma left Zoe battling agoraphobia, sleeplessness, and an intense fear of the hospital that had failed her. She ultimately refused to return to the LGH.
In 2017, Zoe passed away at the age of 28 from a chronic illness — a loss her family believes could have been prevented had she not been too afraid to seek the medical care she needed.
In honour of her sister, Amanda Duncan — a nurse and advocate — launched the Two Sisters Campaign in November 2021, determined that no other family should endure what theirs did.