Abuse inquiry turns its focus on political forces

Tasked with investigating allegations of child abuse dating from the end of the Second World War, the inquiry, which began public hearings last July, has examined thousands of pages of documents and heard from hundreds of witnesses.

Recently, the inquiry heard from former members of staff in Jersey care homes, including some accused of carrying out abuse and some who were later convicted.

Before that, more than 200 witnesses gave evidence regarding their time in care, with many giving accounts of the abuse they suffered and witnessed at the hands of the people who supposed to be looking after them.

Frances Oldham is chair of the inquiry team

WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED

EVEN for many who had had heard rumours about child abuse in the Island’s care homes, the scale of alleged abuse is likely to have come as a shock.

Details relating to homes including Haut de la Garenne, Les Chênes and La Préférence have suggested that abuse was ingrained into the care home system.

Keep up to date with the latest from the inquiry here

A number of residents confirmed that prolific paedophile Jimmy Savile had visited Haut de la Garenne, although very few accusations have been made against the former TV presenter during his time in Jersey.

The inquiry has also heard allegations that notorious sex offender Edward Paisnel, dubbed the Beast of Jersey, was a regular visitor at La Préférence and would terrify the children while they slept by creeping around wearing a mask.

During the 1960s and early19 70s, Paisnel regularly attacked women and children, avoiding detection by wearing a costume which included a grotesque rubber mask.

He was convicted in 1971 of 13 counts of rape, assault and sodomy and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

In January, the inquiry heard evidence from Witness 138that a potential paedophile ring may have been in operation in the 1970s.

The witness, who claimed that he suffered years of abuse while at Haut de la Garenne, alleged that a group of paedophiles would prey on vulnerable children from care homes and claimed that St Helier shop owner Jeff Le Marquand had told him that he supplied children to people in the Island.

Allegations of cover-ups have been rife, and during the most recent phase of hearings, Anton Skinner, former head of Children’s Services, admitted that how he dealt with one particular case could be perceived as a cover-up.

Mr Skinner, who was head of the service between 1986 and 1995, told the inquiry that he learned of abuse allegations made against Alan and Jane Maguire, who at the time were running the Blanche Pierre family group home, and that he struck a deal with them to ensure their quick removal from the home.

The deal meant that Mrs Maguire was redeployed within Children’s Services and that they couple received a letter of thanks for their work.

Mr Skinner denied that he had intentionally covered up the allegations, but admitted that he had made mistakes in how he had dealt with the situation.

Last month, the inquiry was told by John Rodhouse, former director of Education, that Senator Sir Philip Bailhache, the then Attorney General, failed to pass on allegations of abuse to the police.

Mr Rodhouse claimed that if Sir Philip had acted on the allegations, a further case of child abuse could have been prevented.

Meanwhile, in concluding the second phase of the inquiry, Frances Oldham QC, who chairs the panel, claimed that the investigation was being delayed by a failure from States departments, including the Law Officers’ Department, to provide documents within the given time limits.

Delivering an address at the end of the most recent public hearing, she said: ‘During this phase of evidence the inquiry has received excellent co-operation from the vast majority of witnesses who have assisted the work of the inquiry.

‘However, we have been hampered by the late and non-disclosure of important documents, largely by the various States departments, but also from the Law Officers’ Department.

‘These include HR records, disciplinary and other investigations, policies and procedures reports and emails which have either failed to be disclosed or have been disclosed after the relevant witness has given their evidence.’

However, the States and the Law Officers’ have denied that they have been slow in providing the requested documents.

Allegations of abuse in Jersey were made against Alan and Jane Maguire while they were running the Blanche Pierre family group home

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

AT the end of the first phase of hearings, which concluded in March, Mrs Oldham’s panel’s job will be to determine how the abuse was allowed to remain hidden for so long.

Acknowledging that child abuse had been prevalent in Jersey care homes, Mrs Oldham said that the panel would be investigating whether political interference may have prevented prosecutions.

At the time, she said: ‘While there have been some positive accounts, most of what we have heard has related to painful and damaging experiences.

The first phase of the inquiry has been slow and painstaking, not least because of the difficulty many of the victims have had to wrestle with emotionally in terms of first giving a statement and then deciding whether to give evidence in public.

‘We must establish the truth about how mistreatment of children remained hidden for so long, and what was done when concerns were raised.

‘We must also consider whether appropriate decisions were taken in deciding whether to prosecute individuals, and whether there was political or other interference in those decisions.’

The inquiry is due to sit for four days this week to speak to members of committees responsible for Jersey care homes, including ex-politicians.

Public hearings will then cease once again to enable the panel to prepare for the final phase of hearings.

Due to begin in early October, the last phase will relate to the 2008 police investigation into Haut de la Garenne, codenamed Operation Rectangle, which garnered international media attention. The panel will be questioning the handling of that inquiry and how prosecutions were made.

Among those due to give evidence are former deputy States police chief Lenny Harper, who led Operation Rectangle and who has previously confirmed to the JEP that he will be giving evidence.

Once the final phase of public hearings is concluded, the panel will write a report of their findings.

They are expected to provide recommendations on what has been learnt as a result of the investigation.

The report is due to be submitted before the end of 2016.

Among those due to give evidence to the inquiry are former deputy States police chief Lenny Harper, who led Operation Rectangle

THE COST

UP until July this year, the inquiry has cost the taxpayer more than £9.5 million – a significant step-up from its initial budget of £6 million.

In March, the States agreed to provide an additional £14 million to ensure that the inquiry could continue its work.

By the time of the States debate into additional funding, the inquiry had already surpassed its initial budget.

The current expectation is that the final cost will be under the revised budget, with Nick Montague, secretary of the inquiry, stating that the current cost forecasts were within budget.

In August the inquiry released a breakdown of its spending.

A total of £1,000,533 has been spent on hotel, travel and subsistence, which includes all costs for people working on inquiry matters while in Jersey.

The majority of the £9.5 million spent to date has been on fees for the inquiry team, which accounts for £6.5 million.

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

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