Loretta Lohberger
Loretta Lohberger is a journalist at ABC Hobart. She began her career in 2005 at the Circular Head Chronicle and has also been a political and court reporter at The Launceston Examiner, and a court and religious affairs reporter at the Hobart Mercury. In 2020, Loretta won the Excellence in Legal Reporting category at the Tasmanian Media Awards. You can follow Loretta on Twitter @johnstonloretta
Latest by Loretta Lohberger
Launceston hospital former top doctor allegedly covered up causes of death to avoid coronial scrutiny, nurse claims
The former head of medical services at a major Tasmanian hospital allegedly falsified medical certificates of death, a registered nurse and midwife tells a parliamentary committee.
'I did my best': Ambulance dispatcher tells of emergency phone calls that 'kept coming'
A senior Tasmanian ambulance dispatcher tells of a night when emergency calls piled up and there were no available paramedics to send. "I did my best."
Half of Tasmania was without an available ambulance on Monday afternoon and this image shows why, union says
A screenshot of a dispatch system showing all ambulances unavailable is presented by a union as further evidence of the worsening "crisis" in southern Tasmania's health system — as the government says holiday season "injuries" are adding to the fleet's workload.
Goat flock near highway sparks 'ridiculous' bureaucratic buck-passing
A flock of feral goats causing safety issues on a busy highway north of Hobart has resulted in three government agencies passing the buck on what to do — with a council manager admitting he is "aware this sounds a bit ridiculous".
Court hears of 'self-fulfilling prophecy' problem of being Chopper Read's son
The son of late underworld figure Mark "Chopper" Read has a personality that attracts "the good the bad and the ugly", a court has heard during sentencing for Charlie Read.
'Amoral': Catholic education head takes issue with national sexual consent curriculum
Strengthened sexual consent education is now part of the Australian curriculum for all schools, and while non-government schools have some discretion in its implementation, the head of Catholic Education Tasmania has criticised the way consent is included in the national curriculum.
Coroner finds bleeding recognised 'too late' by hospital staff to save one-punch attack victim
Stewart Williams died in hospital six days after being punched at a Hobart nightclub in 2019. A coroner says his death may have been prevented if his bleeding had been recognised and controlled earlier.
'I saw Grace Tame and then I saw a picture of him': TV episode prompts new abuse claim against Nicolaas Bester
Peter was in prison when he happened to catch an episode of Australian Story about Grace Tame. When he saw her abuser — Nicolaas Bester — pop up on the screen, he says he "froze".
'We're just getting started': Tasmania's Australian of the Year recipients announced
The founders of three charities, including Motherland's Stephanie Trethewey, and musician and Indigenous activist Naarah are recognised at an awards ceremony in Hobart.
This footage of 'the last Tasmanian tiger' is famous — but researchers disagree on what it shows
New research disputes a recent hypothesis the last captive Tasmanian tiger was a female, and argues the animal did not die from neglect.
Catholic Church-owned insurer says it can't sustain amount of compensation payments for abuse
Paul O'Halloran regularly sees the damage decades of abuse at a Catholic school have had on his community. He's worried about the impact of the collapse of the Catholic Church-owned insurer and says the church has a responsibility to prop it up so that it can continue to compensate victim-survivors of abuse.
Concerns Tasmania Police review not truly independent if it's 'on the police's terms'
Kylee Pearn's experience dealing with police was positive when she reported she had been sexually abused as a child. Now, she's concerned about police involvement in a review of its handling of child sexual allegations made against a former officer.
It took 10 years for Tasmania Police to investigate allegations against one of its own, now a review will look at what happened
Commissioner Donna Adams says a review will assess the actions of Paul Reynolds and whether there had been any misconduct by police officers involved in the investigation.
When this lawyer sifted though abuse complaints kept by a Tasmanian department, he made an 'alarming' discovery
The claims of abuse made by former youth detention detainees were not acted on and crosschecked with a list of current staff, meaning children kept making complaints about the "same" people, a lawyer says.
The key takeaways from Tasmania's landmark child sexual abuse report
It was described as a landmark report into how Tasmanian authorities handled allegations of child sexual abuse in hospitals, schools, detention and out-of-home care. So what did it say?
Children 'disbelieved' as decades of sexual abuse allowed to continue in Tasmania's institutions, report finds
Tasmania's children have been abused in the government's institutions — from hospitals to schools — and failed by a state response that has "too often been inadequate", a long-awaited report finds.
'I'm a victim of Garth Hawkins': 20 years ago, Steve had to fight in court to identify himself
Twenty years ago, Steve Fisher became the first person in Tasmania to win the legal right to identify himself as a victim-survivor of child sexual abuse. Now, with a groundbreaking report to be handed down this week, he says the reckoning has only just begun.
A mining company wants to explore Nick's farm, but he's worried — what happens if they find something?
A mining company wants to explore Nick's farm for rare earth elements — but he's worried about what would happen to his farm if exploration turns into actual digging.
'Finally, they have to listen': Victim-survivors react after 191 inquiry recommendations made
A landmark inquiry made almost 200 recommendations for protecting Tasmanian children from abuse. Those who shared their pain will ensure the government now follows through.
Tasmanian child sex abuse inquiry refers more than 100 people to police and child protection
After 29 months, the Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government's Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings has held its final hearing. Its president has called for change, saying more children will be abused without it.
'Work with the men's shed': Mon faces challenges with trying to set up a 'she shed'
Men's sheds have become important community spaces, but for some women who want to learn practical home maintenance skills, it is not an environment they feel comfortable in.
Tasmania's year 11 and 12 school system underwent a dramatic shake-up. Is it working?
With most urban and suburban year 11 and 12 students in Tasmania still going to a dedicated seniors college, questions are being raised about the big teacher resources going to a handful of students in public high schools.
Five-year-old Gaye drew men differently to other kids. Her drawings held a sinister revelation
Gaye was sexually abused when she was a young child. Warning signs at the time were ignored or brushed under the carpet and when her fragments of memories of the abuse came together years later, she found she was still being "silenced".
Paramedic Dave hoping skills learned in Tasmania will assist in upcoming mercy mission to Ukraine
Tasmanian paramedic Dave has been following the war in Ukraine — now he and a colleague will go to the front line, hoping to make a difference.
Outdoor swimmers in Hobart won't have a pool to go to this summer
All three of Hobart's public 50m swimming pools used to be outside, but the only one left won't open this summer — and could close permanently.