A PLAQUE apologising to children who were abused while in care could be installed on the side of a historic building in the Royal Square, if a planning application from the government is approved.
The slate plaque would be fixed to the south-facing wall of Piquet House, a Grade 2 listed building opposite the Royal Court.
It would sit alongside two existing plaques that mark the building’s historical significance.
The government has said the new plaque will match the others in material and style and be mounted directly onto the stonework.
The proposed wording for the plaque reads: “To the children abused while in the care of the States of Jersey: We failed you. We apologise for all you endured. We are truly sorry.”
The proposal is part of a government push to acknowledge and respond to historic abuse of children in care in Jersey.
Allegations dating back to the 1960s led to a police investigation launched in 2006.
Almost 200 people came forward, reporting more than 550 offences — more than half of them linked to the former Haut de la Garenne children’s home in St Martin.
A 2017 report into Jersey’s care system revealed decades of abuse, neglect and mistreatment across several institutions.
Operation Rectangle, the police investigation into these allegations, uncovered widespread physical, sexual and psychological abuse.
An independent inquiry held in 2014 confirmed that abuse had taken place and highlighted deep failings in how the system had protected children.
In 2010, the Chief Minister at the time, Senator Terry Le Sueur, gave an “unreserved apology” to survivors.
Piquet House, which dates back to the Georgian era, was originally used as a military picket house. Today, it is home to Victims First Jersey, a service launched in 2022 to support people affected by crime.
