Courageous child abuse survivor Carrie Modral had hoped to make it to the UK Rally Against Child Abuse 2011. Sadly circumstances prevented her joining her 'brother' and 'sister' survivors again this year and regrettably there was no time to read her stat...ement sent on behalf of all child abuse victims on the Island of Jersey. If Carrie could have attended this was to be the main thrust of her speech. Please share this important information and support survivors still fighting for justice in Jersey. Historic Jersey Child Abuse “There will be NO cover-up” – Chief Minister Frank Walker 2008 REALLY? – WELL PLEASE READ ON!! ..... Jersey – the Island of sunshine, flowers, blue sea and sandy beaches. Also - the Island of a Child Abuse scandal and cover-up on a massive scale. When this scandal broke, it was international news. News which did not show the ‘clean’ face of Jersey, the Government of which has only one interest, and that is keeping its’ profile unflawed as an offshore tax haven and Finance Centre. Money rules here. Little did this very Government (Establishment) reckon with the fortitude and resolve of many ordinary people, an outspoken politician and Citizen’s Media and not least the abuse survivors, a lot of whom have still not seen justice. Little do they realize that thanks to these resolute people this story will run and run until the truth and nothing but the truth is out there in full, and into the public domain. The longer this absolute fiasco continues and the covering-up of a cover-up continues, the deeper and deeper the hole that the Jersey States have dug themselves’ into gets almost to the point of embarrassment. It is impossible to itemize everything that has happened from the initial investigation, the destruction of an honest politicians life and career, not to mention the contempt the abuse survivors have been treated with and the disgusting vilification and destruction of the reputations of the then Chief of Police and his Senior Investigating Officer, all of which has been challenged and pulled to pieces by very good investigative bloggers in the Island, whilst our sycophantic Government controlled media have not run any of this as ‘news’ Better for them to publish stories of cats stuck in trees and the like! To follow is a brief summary of events, and it is indeed very brief in comparison to what information is available. However it makes very frightening reading if you follow the links given. Rest assured – THIS WILL NOT GO AWAY! 2007 – Senator Stuart Syvret expresses concerns about the level of child protection in Jersey. The then Chief Minister accused him of damaging Jersey’s reputation by speaking to the media and asked him to resign, which Senator Syvret refused to do. He then faced and lost a vote of no confidence. As Father of the House it fell to him to give the Christmas speech. In this speech he mentioned the Child protection issues, was told it was inappropriate and had his microphone switched off, and all members left the House. Mr. Syvret has subsequently been harassed, his home illegally searched, arrested on Data Protection issues, driven to take self imposed exile in the UK and having re-stood for election last year, lost his seat in the States. He has also been unlawfully imprisoned. He is currently working on several Court cases against the States of Jersey, which, if he is not successful he will take to Strasbourg. His blog is an explosive minefield of information and he continues to fight for, and support the child abuse victims in every way. Allegations of abuse, which were not just related to Haut de la Garenne, but other ‘care’ homes included battering, rape and sodomy, stabbings or being cut with knives, burning with cigarettes and in one instance that we are aware of, being branded with a metal object that had been held on a hot stove, physical and mental abuse etc. The list goes on. 2007 – In November the Police decided to go public with the fact that they were investigating alleged child abuse matters, not only connected with Haut de la Garenne, but other homes run by the States of Jersey, a ‘well connected’ school, the Jersey Sea Cadets and others. The Police Chief at the time was Mr. Graham Power and the senior investigating officer Mr. Lenny Harper, both experienced and respected Police Officers, and who subsequently proved to be a trusted and vital source for abuse survivors to re-live their stories when they had not been listened to before. When this became public it became international news, and the media descended upon Jersey. News stories were put out in various forms, but unfortunately not always with the correct facts. Sadly the main culprits were our local media The Jersey Evening Post, Channel Television and BBC Radio Jersey. Indeed it is still the case with the JEP that they continue to churn out one sided stories, factually incorrect and with no investigative journalism involved at all. However, we are fortunate in that we have excellent bloggers here, the main ones being Voice for Children and Rico Sorda Blogspot who have, and continue to unravel, investigate and make a mockery of everything that has happened since 2007 regarding this scandal. As a result of the scandal breaking and victims being able to come out into the open the Jersey Careleavers Association was formed, and organised marches and public meetings, and continues to assist survivors of abuse who have been in care. 2008 – Lenny Harper (SIO) resigned and the new SIO Superintendent Michael Gradwell and replacement Deputy Chief David Warcup arrived in Jersey and totally misrepresented all that had been said before, and in effect rubbished the work done by the previous incumbents, and in one fell swoop undid all the good work in gaining the trust of the abuse victims. This was met most unfavorably by a lot of people who felt that they had been brought to the Island with an ulterior motive. From that day onwards the whole enquiry descended into a downwards spiral. On Wednesday 12th November Police Chief Graham Power, was suspended, allegedly over his handling of the Child Abuse scandal. Notes taken at this suspension meeting by the then Chief Executive were afterwards ‘destroyed’. Shortly afterwards the Wiltshire Report was commissioned to look into the matters of the suspension, was part published in redacted form in July 2010. A report by BDO Alto into the expenses incurred by Lenny Harper, and was never interviewed as part of this process, was also commissioned. This report cost the Jersey taxpayer £64,000 to audit less than £7,000 of expenses!! You can find more information on the BDO Alto report backed up with evidence on Rico Sorda blogspot. 2009 – Police Chief Graham Power remained suspended and contested his suspension. DI Gradwell retired in August 2009 after having done a ‘good job’ destroying the confidence and expectations of many abuse survivors who to this day have not seen any justice. Several States Members became more vocal and challenging of the Home Affairs Minister who was unable/unwilling to answer very pertinent questions regarding the whole suspension issue. This had all the signs of a cover-up of a cover-up. 2010 – In January 2010 Graham Power gave six months resignation notice, and indeed retired with his reputation intact having faced no disciplinary charges. Thanks to the determination of one States Member Deputy Bob Hill an Inquiry into this suspension was called for a passed by the States. This would be The Napier Report which, when it finally was presented had one of the Terms of Reference omitted which Deputy Hill had not been notified had been removed. Obviously being a serious matter, questions were asked of the Chief Minister, who gave the reason that it had been omitted because of an ‘administrative error’. The Acting Deputy Police Chief David Warcup who had been expected to take up the role of Chief of Police declined the post in view of unwelcome comments and insinuations from the ‘unaccredited media’ and politicians. It should also be noted that forensic evidence somehow did a disappearing act when Messrs Gradwell and Warcup appeared on the scene. Fresh and fleshed charred children’s bones were found at Haut de la Garenne, a large granite bath in the cellars where children were allegedly abused has been removed and is…………..?? Nobody knows. Our Home Affairs Minister made two statements in the States which were both so ludicrous people wondered if they had heard right. Firstly, he stated that the cellars were not cellars but ‘voids’. This was disproved by Deputy Bob Hill, an ex police officer with the Met, who with others visited the building and entered what indeed WERE cellars. The second laughable statement was regarding some 65 children’s milk teeth some with roots still attached found under the floorboards at Haut de la Garenne. Asked on a radio programme how they could possibly have got there (all in one place), he said they could have dropped through a gap in the floorboards! Yes, this is the calibre of our politicians and this has ever since been known as the Tooth Fairy story. Another nonsense is the ‘coconut story’. What was believed to be a piece of child’s skull was recovered and subsequently found to contain collagen (only found in mammals) This then found its way to Kew Gardens for forensics, and then just happened to change size, colour and shape and somehow ended up being a piece of coconut. To get answers from Kew Gardens or find out where this bone/coconut is has proved to be impossible thus far. Former Senator Stuart Syvret put to Messrs Gradwell And Warcup 37 questions concerning the forensics found at Haute de la Garanne to which he has still not had a reply. You can find these questions on Stuart Syvret’s blogspot “37 questions to Warcup and Gradwell 13th November 2008” which makes for very interesting and quite alarming reading! Lenny Harper has recently been quoted as saying "at the very least parts of children's bodies were buried there (HDLG) illegally.” The full interview can be found on Voice for Children blogspot May 2011. 2011 – A weak and insincere apology was issued by the Chief Minister, and we were informed that the Abuse Enquiry was closed. However questions still rage on the latest scandal being the BDO Alto report into expenses by the original investigation team (under £7,000), which cost £64,000 and which failed to interview the very person they were trying to discredit! Furthermore BDO Alto had been given sight of a document which was confidential and only to be used over the suspension issue i.e. The Wiltshire Report. At this moment in time it is unclear how this report was allowed it to be seen by BDO Alto, but due to some very good investigative work by the Rico Sorda Blogspot it seems it will not be too long before we find out. Of course there are grave Data Protection issues here. The States also announced that there would be no promised Commission of Inquiry into the child abuse scandal. Of course this was met with a lot of displeasure and thanks to a States Senator Francis Le Gresley and Deputies Bob Hill and Montfort Tadier, a proposition was brought to the States and the Inquiry should now be going ahead. This is just a most brief history of what has, and still is happening in Jersey, but to read in depth makes damning reading. Indeed it beggars belief. All this to cover up a child abuse scandal. It really does make you wonder why and who is being protected? It may take a long time, but we will find out. THIS IS FOR ALL ABUSE VICTIMS WHEREVER YOU MAY BE – PEOPLE DO CARE USEFUL LINKS: Senator Stuart Syvret stuartsyvret.blogspot.com Graham Powers Affidavit stuartsyvret.blogspot.com (Letter from exile 10 - 11.2.2010) Rico Sorda Blog ricosorda.blogspot.com Lenny Harpers Affidavit ricosorda.blogspot.com (Blog 17.10.2010) Voice for Children Blog voiceforchildren.blogspot.com Wiltshire Report www.gov.je (Reports) Napier Report www.gov.je (Reports) BDO Alto Report www.gov.je (Reports) Please read the above and visit the blogs listed which are full of the most damning facts backed up with hard evidence and which are well worth reading. They tell a story of a massive cover-up, complete and utter ineptitude by our most senior politicians and their ‘foot –stamping lackeys’ as they are now called, who cannot comprehend such dreadful deeds happening here. Please make this information available to anyone and everybody you know, whether it be your next door neighbour, your local politician, your friends and family and especially those concerned with child abuse. This story needs to be spread far and wide in the hope that it will be a wake-up call for our Government (but it won’t), and that for those who suffered this abuse they will see some form of justice through the Committee of Inquiry, and for all others in care that this can never be allowed to happen again. PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD Thank You Carrie. See more
by: Bill Maloney
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