Some inquiry witnesses ‘are after compensation’

  • Haut de la Garenne worker accused of child abuse claims some alleged victims are making false allegations to claim compensation
  • The witness was speaking at the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry
  • Meanwhile, another victim at the inquiry alleges that she was raped by her father and has claimed she was bribed by an ex-member of the honorary police to not press charges.

A FORMER Haut de la Garenne worker accused of child abuse has claimed that some alleged victims are making false allegations to claim compensation.

Speaking at the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry, the man denied all allegations of physical and sexual abuse and said some of the complainants were motived by money, while others had mistaken him for someone else.

The witness, who was questioned by police during the child abuse inquiry in 2008, also criticised the way that the force dealt with the investigation, claiming that his arrest was ‘unnecessary and disproportionate’.

The inquiry has previously heard numerous allegations of physical and sexual abuse against the man, who was referred to as Mr K.

The Islander, who worked at the home in a number of capacities between the mid-1970s and early 1980s, claimed that those who had made the allegations were motivated by money and that there was no truth to the claims.

He said: ‘They are totally untrue. It is a great shame that people have come forward and in fact it upsets me that people have made false allegations for compensation.

‘You must remember this is 40 years ago and people may have mistaken identities, but a vast majority of these allegations were to get compensation.’

‘He then called me later on the same day to say that he had been approached by a compensation lawyer who asked if he would want to pursue a compensation claim.

‘I think this was disgusting and demonstrates that the compensation lawyers were in league with the police.’

Inquiry counsel Patrick Sadd, who was questioning Mr K, pointed out that of the people who had made allegations, five did not make applications to the redress scheme which paid compensation to alleged victims of child abuse.

Mr K later criticised the police’s decision to arrest and detain him, which prompted him to make a formal complaint against the force for which he was awarded £3,500 in compensation.

Former children's home Haut de la Garenne

The inquiry heard that the then Attorney General, William Bailhache, decided not to bring charges because of insufficient evidence.

The inquiry was shown a letter from Jersey’s deputy police chief, Barry Taylor, responding to the complaint, which suggested that while Mr K’s arrest was entirely lawful, he may have been treated unfairly by police.

The letter to Mr K read: ‘Four allegations of common assault and four of indecent assaults were made against you by six individuals.

‘Of those, one assault had previously been investigated internally and rejected, an allegation of indecent assault by another individual details dates when you were not at Haut de la Garenne. The remainder of the allegations did warrant investigation and there was sufficient evidence available to substantiate that your arrest was lawful.

The inquiry was due to continue this morning.

Witness alleges rape by her father

Frances Oldham is chair of the inquiry team

A WOMAN who alleges that she was raped by her father has claimed that she was bribed by an ex-member of the honorary police to not press charges.

The Independent Jersey Care Inquiry heard evidence yesterday from Witness 64, who said that she felt let down by Social Services following her father’s arrest and conviction.

She claimed that she was regularly abused, but that while her father was convicted of sexual offences against another woman, he was cleared of all charges relating to her.

The woman, who was born in 1959 and was not a resident at a Jersey care home, testified against her father in court despite, she claimed, a member of the honorary police having attempted to bribe her not to.

Summarising the allegations made by Witness 64, inquiry counsel Paul Livingston said: ‘She outlines the violent and abusive home life that she suffered, stating that her mother regularly shouted at her and hit her for the slightest thing.

‘She describes her father’s arrest… and alleges that she was bribed by an ex-member of the honorary police so that she wouldn’t testify against him. She states that her father was tried… in relation to sexual abuse of her and another.

‘She states that her father was found guilty of some of these offences but not in respect of those relating to her.’

The inquiry has begun phase 1B of its hearings, which involves speaking to former members of staff at Jersey care homes, including some accused of carrying out child abuse.

It was due to continue this morning with evidence from a live witness. This week is the first time that the panel has sat in over a month, with the inquiry due to take another break before resuming on Tuesday 26 May.

2007

TOWARDS the end of the year the then deputy police chief, Lenny Harper, announced that the States police were investigating alleged historical child abuse at former States children’s homes.

An appeal for information was also launched and the investigation was overseen by police chief Graham Power.

Former deputy police chief Lenny Harper addresses the media

2008

ARRESTS relating to the abuse investigation began to be made at the end of January.

A few months later Mr Harper, the senior investigating officer, revealed that his team was excavating the former children’s home at Haut de la Garenne and that they had found what appeared to be a fragment of bone.

The announcement led to a swathe of lurid headlines in national newspapers, which carried stories of child torture and possible murder. In August Mr Harper retired and was replaced by David Warcup, a former deputy chief constable of Northumbria police.

Towards the end of the year Mr Warcup and the investigation’s new senior officer, Detective Superintendent Mick Gradwell, said that after a review of the evidence gathered, no child murders took place at Haut de la Garenne.

They also concluded that no bodies had been hidden or burned.

At the same time police chief Graham Power was suspended for his alleged poor handling of the abuse inquiry, but a report later found that he had been removed without proper evidence of incompetence.

Former police chief Graham Power

2009

IN May the fragment of material said to potentially have been part of a child’s skull was sent to botanists at Kew Gardens at the request of Det Supt Gradwell.

The report that followed confirmed that it was, in fact, a piece of coconut.

Also, Islanders arrested and convicted of abuse offences as part of the investigation began to be sentenced in 2009 as well.

A 'piece of skull' turned out to be coconut shell

2010

THE Wiltshire Constabulary’s report – an independent review of the handling of the Haut de la Garenne investigation into child abuse – was published in 2010.

It levelled strong criticism at former police chief Graham Power and his deputy, Lenny Harper, for their handling of the investigation.

The Royal Court secured convictions against the last people involved in the abuse investigation.

Following this, the victims of child abuse received a formal apology from the then Chief Minister, Terry Le Sueur, who said that they had been let down by the system.

In June, 40 people who claimed they had suffered abuse while in States care made compensation claims.

The year 2010 also saw a report into the financial management of the abuse investigation published in July.

It found that public funds had been misspent on expensive meals, accommodation and first-class travel.

It also emerged that the total police costs for the three-year investigation had reached £7.5 million.

Tonnes of soil was examined at Haut de la Garenne

2011

FOLLOWING a proposition brought by Senator Francis Le Gresley, the States agreed to hold an inquiry into allegations of historical child abuse after the Haut de la Garenne investigation.

2012

AFTER a former Islander’s book was published, making claims of abuse at the former Grouville Girls’ Home, the police confirmed that six women had made complaints about the home to the force during the course of the historical child abuse investigation.

However, the police said that there was too little evidence in relation to the claims to mount a prosecution.

The author of the book, Jean Neil, included details of alleged abuse she suffered at the home between 1941 and 1951 in ‘Chairbound to Heavenbound’.

And 2012 also saw Jimmy Savile linked to Haut de la Garenne after pictures of the disgraced BBC star surfaced and were published in newspapers and online.

One online Daily Mail headline read: ‘Savile pictured at the Jersey House of Horrors: Paedophile DJ is surrounded by children at care home where 192 suffered abuse’.

2013

IT was hoped that the public inquiry into historical child abuse would get going in 2013, but half-way through the year Sally Bradley QC, the States-appointed chairman of the Committee of Inquiry, suffered a stroke.

The inquiry was delayed while a new chairman was found.

A few months later Frances Oldham QC, a senior lawyer with extensive experience in dealing with cases involving sexual abuse, was appointed to lead the inquiry.

Haut de la Garenne

She was joined by abuse inquiry panel members Alyson Leslie, who has led serious case reviews into child abuse, and Sandy Cameron CBE, a former director of social work in Scotland.

In one of the last States sittings of the year, it was revealed that 64 per cent of claims for compensation for historical abuse had been settled.

Chief Minister Ian Gorst said that 131 claims had been received, 84 offers of compensation had been accepted, with 47 cases still under consideration.

2014

Ms Oldham opened the inquiry and set out the terms of reference for proceedings. Hundreds of witnesses began giving evidence to the inquiry, both in written and verbal submissions, and the costs were increased from £6m to £9m.

The Independent Jersey Care Inquiry is being led by Frances Oldham QC

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