Plans for the piece of art have faced fierce criticism since the beginning of the year, when it was announced that £200,000 had been set aside for the project.
The backlash intensified last week when the three shortlisted designs were unveiled. More than 3,000 people have now signed a petition against the plans, with many of those opposed to the memorial saying it would be a waste of money and an insensitive and upsetting reminder of past abuse.
Miss O’Connor, who poses as children online to catch offenders and has more recently worked with families who have grievances with Children’s Services, said the memorial would ‘put the abuse back in the face of survivors’.
The 27-year-old also highlighted a potential issue with one of the designs – the multicoloured series of panels by M+R – which numerous people have claimed looks like the set of Naked Attraction, a controversial Channel 4 dating show in which contestants’ naked bodies are slowly revealed during the show.
‘At the beginning of all this I gave [Children’s Minister] Sam Mézec about 15 letters from survivors who said they didn’t want a memorial,’ she said. ‘I don’t know a single person who actually wants it – it will just be a reminder of what they have been through. The thought of a memorial is upsetting a lot of survivors and I personally know two who are back in counselling because of this. One of them suffers from PTSD and his wife says she has never seen him like this.
‘People have also noticed that one of the designs looks like the set of Naked Attraction. I am sure it wasn’t deliberate but it is just so wrong.’
Miss O’Connor added: ‘The statue holds no purpose. There have been people on social media saying that they will knock it down if it gets built, and that is exactly what will happen. Someone will get themselves in a lot of trouble if it gets built.’
The memorial, which is due to be erected at the Weighbridge, was suggested by the citizens’ panel which was formed following the publication of the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry’s report in 2017.
Children’s Minister Sam Mézec has urged people to view the designs online and give feedback as part of the public consultation, which was due to end at 5pm today.
Earlier this week blogger and campaigner for justice for survivors Neil McMurray said that the ‘vicious backlash’ on social media might make abuse survivors reluctant to back the plans.
