The Haut de la Garenne building: Let’s have some common sense

From Don Filleul.

I AM seriously concerned about the future of that magnificent property at Haut de la Garenne and write to seek support for its retention and use by the Youth Hostel Association.

There is of course a powerful emotive reaction to the alleged horrific deaths of five children at this place; we must however remind ourselves that so far it has only been made public that teeth – not bones, not skulls, not other body parts – have been found. Over the past months the media, not discouraged by the investigating police officer, have printed and broadcast graphic headlines which have expanded in their passage around the world. One cannot blame politicians for worrying about the resultant damage to Jersey’s reputation.

In no way can we fail to give full recognition to the abused who have been able to produce genuine evidence of the dreadful outrages to which they have been subjected. No police time devoted to the identification and punishment of their aggressors will be wasted. The magnitude of public sympathy has been quite exceptional and has encouraged the continuation of those inquiries.

But for people to demand – as they have – that the buildings be demolished must surely be going over the top. To learn that the Youth Hostel Association might cease using what I understand to have been an extremely successful holiday resource would disadvantage and disappoint only those youngsters deprived of enjoyment.

I suggest that no useful purpose could possibly derive from such a response and no miscreants would feel any pain, and on these arguments alone I plead for common sense to come into play and for Haut de la Garenne to retain its place in the service of youth.

There is something else. An external consultant recently recommended that there should be a super hotel at Gorey. Just how many of our developers have already seen the opportunity to replace our heritage with another Radisson – and let it be known in the appropriate circles that their pens are at the ready over their cheque books – is of course not known to me. You heard it first here.

Trellian, Rue des Murs, St Lawrence.