The memorial was suggested by the Citizens’ Panel formed following the publication of the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry’s report in 2017.
Now Neil McMurray, who runs the Voiceforchildren blog and has campaigned to expose and highlight decades of abuse, said there needed to be a compromise over the memorial’s final appearance that all survivors were happy with.
Last week three shortlisted designs for the monument, which is to be erected at the Weighbridge, were made available for public viewing at an art gallery. A public consultation is currently running and Islanders have been asked to give their thoughts on the proposals.
However, the memorial has been a point of contention since the beginning of the year after it was agreed that £200,000 would be put aside for the project. In response, a petition calling for the Citizens’ Panel’s decision to be reversed collected almost 3,000 signatures from Islanders amid concerns that the public sculpture could become an insensitive and traumatic reminder for abuse survivors.
Mr McMurray said he was disheartened to see the memorial become so politicised. He added that he feared the aggressive social-media commentary could silence the voices of those who needed to be heard.
‘It’s a shame there’s been such a vicious backlash,’ Mr McMurray said. ‘There are campaigners and survivors in favour of the memorial who are afraid to speak up.
‘If only people would put as much weight into uniting the survivors.
‘Taking a side in this, either for or against, does not help the abuse survivors and it’s so sad to see. People should be looking for a compromise that all the survivors are happy with.’
Speaking about the designs, Children’s Minister Sam Mézec asked those opposing the memorial to ‘come and see it’ and said: ‘People can come and have a look – they can give us feedback, and that’s ultimately a more constructive way to have their voice heard than a petition.’
More than 300 comments about the shortlisted designs have been posted on the JEP’s Facebook page – the vast majority of which oppose the memorial and criticise Senator Mézec for pushing forward with the project in the face of negative feedback.
Some comments branded the initiative a ‘waste of money’ and an ‘unnecessary reminder of times past that most people, including those poor victims, would probably want to forget’.
When asked what he thought of the online response, Senator Mézec said that views about the project should be submitted to the consultation.
The final design is expected to be announced next month. The intention is to start the work next year and complete the memorial
before Children’s Day on 3 July 2022.
