The head of Jersey’s honorary police, Hugh Raymond, has today reassured Islanders of the organisation’s integrity after it emerged that a paedophile who was handed a life sentence after carrying out a sustained campaign of rape and sexual assault had appeared several times at parish hall inquiries in the past for a range of alleged sex offences against children.
The historic allegations included performing a sole sex act in front of school children and admitting he had looked at an underage girl ‘sexually’ while stalking her along a country road.
It emerged in court that Bartlett’s sexual interest had been long known by authorities:
- He had three prior incidents of sexual misbehaviour between 1986 and 1995 all of which were dealt with by way of parish hall inquiry.
- In 1986, aged 27, Bartlett admitted gross indecency after he hid in bushes near Trinity School and performed a solo sex act. He received psychiatric help after admitting the behaviour.
- In 1994 two girls aged 11 and 12 complained that he performed a solo sex act as they walked away from him on a country road.
- And in 1995 an 11-year-old girl reported that he followed her along a country road. He later told police: I didnt have any intention to talk to her. I was just looking at her sexually wise. He accepted supervision along with psychiatric help which was completed in July 1996.
However, after appearing at a parish hall inquiry, no further action was taken.
Years later, Ian Stafford Bartlett (55) would go on to commit what authorities described as the worst case of sustained sexual abuse against a single victim in the Island’s history.
He was sentenced to life with a minimum of ten years by the Royal Court on Wednesday.
Now, Mr Raymond has said he was stunned by the news that investigations into historic allegations against Bartlett had seemingly stopped with parish hall inquiries, which are usually reserved for petty offences.
He moved to reassure Islanders that something so damaging would never be repeated again and pledged to look into what happened when Bartlett appeared before the parish hall inquiries.
‘I can say with absolute honesty and without any doubt that any cases involving sexual propriety and children would not just stop with a parish hall inquiry. I am frankly stunned. I have been inundated with calls today,’ he said.
Bartlett’s sentence marked the first time that a life sentence has been imposed on a rapist in Jersey.
During the hearing at the Royal Court and in an interview conducted by the JEP with senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Mark Hafey, it emerged that Bartlett had been reported to three parish officials in connection with a number of sex offences involving young girls on three occasions.
The alleged offences occurred between 1986 and 1995 and included solo sex acts in front of schoolgirls and outside Trinity School.
The paedophile also admitted to looking at an 11-year-old girl ‘sexually wise’ after he was accused of stalking her.
However, despite the revelations no further action was taken at the time.
Subsequently, Bartlett went on to commit a devastating campaign of sexual abuse against a single victim over a number of years.
The Superior Number of the Royal Court, which convenes only for the most serious cases, heard a statement from the victim describing how the abuse had ‘ruined her childhood’.
Mr Raymond added: ‘I don’t know the case. What I will say is that I am looking into exactly what happened.’
He said he was doing everything in his power to investigate the matter, but was finding research difficult as he believed parish hall statements were not written down before 1987 – the year after the first allegation was made against Bartlett.
‘It would be wrong, in my role, if I did not look into what happened to see what happened,’ Mr Raymond said. ‘I can assure people this would not happen today and not just in one parish, all of the parishes.
‘From what I understand, before 1987 some parish hall statements were not written down.
‘I have tried doing some research but so far I have come unstuck.
Pressed on whether he believed there may have been a cover-up, Mr Raymond said: ‘I don’t know. I don’t think there was a cover-up. I am in the process of establishing exactly what happened. I am looking into it.’
- Jerseys honorary police system dates back hundreds of years and includes elected Centeniers, Vingteniers and Constables Officers who all work together to help the Islands 12 parishes run smoothly.
- Each of the Island’s 12 parishes has an Honorary Police force, whose members are elected by parishioners and who serve on a voluntary, unpaid basis.
- The Centenier is the only officer including paid officers authorised to charge and bail offenders in his parish. They will summon the accused to a Parish Hall inquiry where they will either serve a punishment for less serious crimes, or present the case in the Magistrates Court. [figure title=”New_New_DSC_6918″ align=”none” url=”/?attachment_id=1136167″ id=”1136167″ align=”right”]
- Anyone who is penalised at Parish Hall level does not incur a police record, though they may receive a fine.
- The first reference to a Centenier in Jersey is in 1502, although the title was well known in France and England. Centeniers historically possessed the Baton de Justice, and were supposed to tap an offender on the shoulder with it when they were charged.
- The existence of uniformed police in Jersey dates back to 1853, when officers were paid to work from 6 pm until 2 am. They were known as the night watch or garde de nuit and, though uniformed like their counterparts in the UK, their powers were severely restricted. They did not begin working in the day until 1890.
- In 1951, the States passed the Paid Police Force (Jersey) Law 1951, to establish an Island-wide professional force to supplement the honorary police, but it wasnt until 1974 that the States Police were given the power to arrest and search offenders. Until then the power rested entirely with the honoraries, a situation that led to discord.
- Today, the two forces work closely together and tasks now performed by the Honorary Police include monitoring licensed premises, firearms suitability assessments, welfare and property checks, community patrols, policing major events, and traffic management.
- Within the honorary police, Vingteniers are in charge of a Vingtaine (a specific area in the parish) and in addition to general policing matters are responsible for undertaking certain financial duties for the parish. Constables Officers also serve a Vingtaine and help with general policing such as road checks.
Background – Who is Ian Bartlett?
HE came from a background of wealth and privilege and was a well-known Island businessman.
But Ian Bartlett (55) had a perverse secret, he was a ‘dangerous sexual predator’ who abused a young girl over a period of several years.
Described as one of the worst campaigns of sustained sexual abuse against a single victim that the Island has ever seen, the former owner of the Bonne Nuit Thai Beach Cafe subjected the girl to numerous rapes and sexual assaults.
Using manipulation and deceit, Bartlett threatened his young victim saying that if she told anyone about the abuse she would never see her mother again.
Even when the victim bravely came forward, Bartlett, who used to help run the family-owned Stafford Hotel, at first denied her accusations before blaming his offences on the fact that he had had a ‘hard life’ as he had been picked on at school because of his ginger hair.
Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Mark Hafey, who led the investigation codenamed Operation Globe that helped secure Bartlett’s sentence, said that the 55-year-old had all the classic characteristics of a paedophile.
He added: ‘This is without a doubt one of the worst cases in terms of a sustained campaign against the same victim that we’ve ever seen.
‘He manipulated and orchestrated a lifestyle that allowed him to abuse a young girl.
‘He was just satisfying his sexual gratification. His sexual need was to indecently assault and have sex with a minor and that is what he did. He orchestrated scenarios that would allow him to do that on a regular basis over a number of years.’
Since his arrest on 17 February last year, Bartlett has been remanded in custody.
As part of the investigation a major incident room was set up and over three months a Detective Sergeant along with two Detective Constables began building the case against him which included analysing the thousands of indecent images of children found on his electronic devices – including ones of his victim.
Detective Constable Caroline Foord, the first officer to interview the victim, said one of the most shocking things was the young girl’s fear that she would not see her family again after she reported the crimes.
Det Con Foord said: ‘After the interview she said: “Does this mean I won’t see my mother again?” He had told her if she said anything she would not see her mother or her grandparents again.
‘He had total control over her.’
A profile of Bartlett was put together by UK forensic psychologist Dr Joe Sullivan in order to assist officers in their interviews with him.
During questioning Det Con Foord said the former De La Salle College student would become tearful.
‘He went through an initial shock, denial and disbelief of the situation he was in,’ she said. ‘He became very emotional and portrayed himself as a victim that had had a very hard background.
‘He took any opportunity to minimise what he had done to the point that he put blame on the victim and her immediate family.
‘In interview he tried to manipulate what he would and would not say. He would do anything to avoid answering the question.’
Det Insp Hafey added: ‘He used to say in interview that he had had a hard life. But he doesn’t look to have wanted for anything. He went to a private school and came from a wealthy family. When he had difficulties at school he was given private tuition.
‘It shows the mindset of Bartlett. We are talking about numerous rapes and indecent assaults. He said he had a hard life because he was picked on because of his hair colour. That was one of his excuses.’
Det Insp Hafey said that Bartlett also claimed his victim had taken advantage of him financially as he had given her gifts and money.
‘He said that she had manipulated him,’ Det Insp Hafey said.
‘He said that he never hurt her physically but that does not include the fact he raped her. In his warped mind he has not caused her pain.’
Without the victim coming forward it is unlikely that Barlett’s offending would have come to light and Insp Hafey said the victim had shown ‘incredible courage’.
‘Her life has been turned upside down,’ he added. ‘During a period of her life she thought this was the norm. She didn’t think that this wasn’t supposed to happen as it had been happening for such a long time.
‘She is a strong girl. If she had not come forward who knows what other abuse he would have gone on to do. He would have certainly carried on abusing her. I hold her in the highest regard.’
He said that the victim, who is doing ‘fantastically’ at school, continued to be supported by agencies to help her through her ordeal.
THE demand for answers reached fever pitch yesterday following the sentencing of Ian Stafford Bartlett, a serial child abuser who became the first person in Jersey to be given a life sentence for rape.
Bartlett, who ran a well established business, had targeted the same girl for a number of years during the past decade, robbing her of her childhood.
It was also revealed in the Royal Court that he had three times been caught performing a solo sex act in bushes outside Island primary schools, but faced nothing more than parish hall inquiries.
In yesterday’s leader column, this newspaper called for an explanation as to what went wrong.
Today, it seems, there is a determination to find out how Bartlett, a vile predator and self-confessed paedophile, was not stopped from reoffending when his sexual interest in children was known to the police.
Hugh Raymond, the head of the honorary police, has echoed the shock felt across the Island and has expressed a determination to find out how it could have happened.
He is also adamant that such a clear failing of the justice system could not happen again.
In a small community such as ours, it is inevitable that politicians will know business people, that police will have been at school with criminals and that judges have some link to those who are brought before the courts.
That fact makes it essential that the proper procedures are followed, those in positions of authority are properly trained and the justice system is open and accountable.
In the past, these boxes have too often been left unticked.
Who you know should have no bearing on your treatment when it comes to the administration of justice. Nepotism breeds corruption.
The Bailiff, William Bailhache, recently called for Islanders to reclaim the Jersey way. Whatever that means now and in the future, fairness and equality before the law must be at its centre.
Mr Raymond is right that the honorary police is a very different force than it was even 15 years ago. For one, it is far more professional and better trained.
Honorary officers give thousands of hours every year in the service of their Island. They are part of the fabric of Jersey and they must be standard bearers for a reclaimed Jersey way.
