A PLAQUE apologising for the historic abuse of children in care is to be installed on a building in the Royal Square after plans for the memorial were approved.
The slate plaque will be fixed to the south-facing wall of Piquet House to serve as a public apology from the Government of Jersey on behalf of the States of Jersey to those affected by the Jersey Independent Care Inquiry.
The notice will read: “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. From the Government of Jersey 2025.”
It will sit alongside two existing plaques that mark the building’s historical significance.
In consultation with the Jersey Citizen’s Panel, the Chief Minister agreed that Piquet House in the Royal Square is “an appropriate location for a public apology to be displayed”.
The Grade 2 listed building, 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.
The planning application was submitted in April as 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.
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, then-Chief Minister Terry Le Sueur gave an “unreserved apology” to survivors.
