Speaking to the JEP about the police investigation into alleged child abuse at Haut de la Garenne and the way in which the Island has been portrayed by the national media, Sir Philip Bailhache said that the Island was doing all in its collective power to ensure that the truth came out and that wrongdoers were punished.
He described phrases used about Jersey by some of the national media like ‘culture of concealment’ and ‘Island of Secrets’ as scurrilous.
‘Lines like that taint us all and smear us all with the grime of suspicion,’ he said.
Sir Philip, who has been back at work for a
fortnight following surgery for prostate cancer,
said that he had been shocked by the allegations of child abuse carried out in the past and believed
that there were very few people in the Island who would not feel tremendous sympathy for victims.
However, he believed that it was important to wait until all of the police investigations were completed before any judgment was made about what had gone wrong.
Sir Philip emphasised that all the resources necessary for a thorough investigation had been given to the police.
