Senator Syvret first failed to reply to a letter from retired Det chief insp Bob McLachlan , who now lives in Jersey, and then referred the offer to child protection officers to handle after he had received a reminder.

The Senator – who had political responsibility for child protection first as president of the old Health and Social Services Committee and later as Health Minister – said this week that he had no recollection of the first letter and that his decision not to order specific action in response to the second was made at a time when he was unaware of the ‘systemic abuse’ over which he has since campaigned.