Jersey Children's Home

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

glojo

Hardcore MB Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 15, 2004
Messages
14,652
Location
Torquay
Car
S211 Sprinter 213CDI, & the new T-class
I cannot, cannot understand how this has been allowed to go on for so many years and I cannot even begin to understand how much the poor victims must have suffered. Our local news describes how children have been abused for generations!! I do hope the offenders that are still living are bought to task, but more important and something that is not being mentioned....... WHO is responsible for covering up this widespread abuse and will they also be put into the dock? :mad::mad::mad:

I hope the victims will finally find a place of rest and those that are alive are fit enough to give evidence :eek:

Regards
John
 
It's hard enough to comprehend the abuse in the first place, to then compound it by **** covering is staggering. I too hope that those implicated will finally be brought to justice, to bring some piece of mind to the victims if nothing else.
 
this sort of thing makes me really angry:mad: :mad: and the thought of what those children had to go through makes me sick to my stomach,i just hope the people responsible really get what they deserve:mad:
 
According to todays newspapers there are circa 40 people who COULD be involved in the running of this ring.
I feel what we are hearing about is just the tip of an enormous iceberg.
I have little doubt that many other childrens homes all over the UK could have similar stories to tell. I just hope those children will now come forward and name names.
As you say - how could this have been kept so quiet for so long?
 
IMG%5D

Some information gleaned from a few sources for you

The Current Bailiff of Jersey is SIR PHILIP MARTIN BAILHACHE , QC who was elected to the post in 1989. He lives with his wife Linda Le Vavasuer dit Durell and 2 children Alice and Edward at L'Anquetinerie, Grouville, Jersey JE3 9UX .
datestone.jpg
datestone.jpg


Sir Philip was born 28 Feb 1946 almost at the same time as George Robertson. He is an Old Carthusian and went on to read Law at Pembroke College Oxford (MA, Hon Fell 1995); admitted to the Middle Temple 1968, advocate Jersey 1969–74

He was for many years in the 70's and 80's the Governor of the Jersey Home for Boys (Haut de la Garenne)

First elected to the States of Jersey as Deputy of Grouville in 1972, he resigned his seat in 1975 to become a Crown Officer when appointed as HM Solicitor General. He became HM Attorney General in 1986. He was the serving Attorney General at the time of the court case vs. Peter Pearce which represents the only time that a senior legal official in Jersey has lost a case in the Royal Court of Jersey. The case was presided over by the Bailiff of Guernsey.

He was involved in the controversy surrounding the removal of Vernon Tomes (later Senator Vernon Tomes) as Deputy Bailiff, and replaced Vernon Tomes in that office in 1994. He became Bailiff of Jersey in 1995 and received his knighthood in 1996.

Vernon Tomes, the island's Deputy Bailiff, and a farmer's son was dismissed by Queen Elizabeth in 1992, acting on instructions from Whitehall. The reason given was that, as a senior judge, he had been repeatedly late in delivering judgments.The Queen rules as heir to William, Duke of Normandy, and not as a British monarch, she appoints the Bailiff and Deputy Bailiff to preside over the States and the judiciary and to represent the island abroad.

At the time Tomes was sacked her representative was Lieutenant Governor, Air Marshal Sir John Sutton who was booed and heckled in the streets of Jersey. The Bailiff presented Sir John with a pair of decanters "suitably inscribed" when he eventually retired Tuesday, 27th June 1995.

In 2006, Sir Philip awarded l'Ordre de la Pléiade (Grand Officier class) by l'Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie.

Philip is curently recovering from surgery from prostate cancer and will not return to office until the end of March - meanwhile Deputy Bailiff Michael Birt is standing in for him.

PRAYERS OF REPENTANCE were said at the church closest to Haut de la Garenne, where the remains of a child were found, at a service attended by Jersey’s highest officials this evening.
Rev Canon Dr Peter Williams who has arranged the service at Gouray Church where he is vicar, said prayers of “corporate repentance” would be said during the service attended by the Island’s First Minister, the Chief of Police and the Queen’s representative.

They would consider Matthew 18 : 5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea."

EDUCATION Minister Mike Vibert yesterday today (28.2.08) spoke to the press on the steps of the State House and said that ‘I regret that there was a historic case of child abuse at one of the Island’s schools 'Victoria College', which was uncovered in the early 1990s before I was elected as a States member.

‘Once reported to the Education Department of the day this incidence of abuse was taken seriously. The man responsible was successfully prosecuted and subsequently imprisoned.’

The Education Minister made the statement after Senator Stuart Syvret gave copies of a leaked report into the Jervis Dykes child abuse scandal to the media yesterday.

LOCAL PRESS reports today (28.2.08)say children at Haut de la Garenne were selected for abuse and kept in a ‘deep, dark place in the ground’ before it occurred, police have been told.

It is claimed by alleged victims that the abuse, which was sexual and physical, either took place within the holding chamber in the ground where the children were kept and fed, or elsewhere in the building.

Only one person has been charged in connection with the current enquiry. In January Gordon Claude Wateridge, 76, was accused of indecently assaulting three girls under 16 between 1969 and 1979.

The BBC have an excellent Timeline here Guradian inter active 3 D guide


Jersey
is a small (90,000 population) island with a mediaeval system of Government - it isn't in the EU - Abuse it seems is nothing new here.

Some information about Edward Paisnel, the "Beast of Jersey", who was the son of wealthy Jersey landowners.

In the period 1958 - 1971, Paisnel abducted and abused a number of children and at the same the time visited visited Jersey's Haut de la Garenne orphanage dressed as Father Christmas. This was revealed in first revealed in a book written by his wife, Joan, in 1972, after he had been sentenced to 30 years in prison. Paisnel, apparently was keen for the children to call him Uncle Ted, died in 1994. He apparently also did work on the premises as an odd job man /painter.

The mainland were alerted to an intensive study centred on that orphanage by the BBC in early December - Investigating Jersey's 'abuse' history . Mr Syvret, 42, the former Jersey health minister who has been involved in fierce clashes with Frank Walker, the island’s Chief Minister, over allegations of a cover-up, said that the abuse extended to several more children’s homes in addition to Haut de la Garenne and Greenfields, which is the subject of a separate investigation .

This Blog is worth reading :

Aangirfan provides an excellent running commentary on paedophile scandals and cover ups ... which he traces through Lenny Harper the NI policeman in charge of the inquiry on Jersey today , via the Kincora Boys Home the North Wales , Bryn Alyn paedophile ring and MI5/6 /SIS involvement with both.

By way of police cover ups at Dunblane and Labour Party Politicians like Margaret Hodge (née Margaret Oppenheimer) who (reminscent of Kenny the Red) accused the accused the Evening Standard of "gutter journalism" and rejected its dossier on paedophile activity in the homes when The Evening Standard began a series of reports alleging that dozens of children at two Islington council homes were abused.

..to the curious case of George Robertson ... Secetary general of NATO

Blair's Protection of Elite Paedophile Rings Spells the End For His Career / Mike James

"NATO boss and Blair government insider Lord Robertson has threatened to sue Scotland's leading independent newspaper over internet allegations that he not only used his influence as a Freemason to procure a gun licence for child killer Thomas Hamilton, but was also a member of a clandestine paedophile ring reportedly set up by Hamilton for the British elite. "



The BBC have been on the case of the Haut de la Garenne child abuse and cover up since 2006 and this link gives an excellent time line with links to all BBC stories. Something is very rotten in the States of Jersey.
 
"For evil to prosper only requires that good men remain silent" seems apposite!
I understand what your saying but to me there is no excuse for any 'good man' to keep quiet and by keeping quiet they are as guilty as the animals that were involved in such offensive behaviour.

Godot's post made an interesting read but I fear money andf influence has and always will.... buy innocence. I would love to see a top advocate rush to carry out the prosecutions of these sick people but I fear it will be just the opposite.

Jersey needs outside assistance to get to the roots of this evil crime and hopefully no stone will remain unturned to root out every single person that is implicated.

John
 
I have no doubt in my mind that a certain famous pop singer bought his innocence. As you say, money talks and may very well influence this case as well.
Sometimes the words of "good men" fall upon deaf ears and no matter how much they may repeat the words, there is often a wall around around a case such as this. And its not until this wall has finally been breached that the truth is told. This wall took longer than most to be breached.
 
Last edited:
Conspiracy theorists are often derided (possibly rightly so in most cases) but as the old saying goes 'truth is stranger than fiction'. If this type of thing is going on literally on our doorstep I shiver to think what is going on in our name abroad.
 
anyone remember "pin down" .....a method used for restraining the non compliant.... what they did not release in the news was it is to be applied till the offender is compliant or incapacitated, but usually till the person was unconscious then easily dealt with .... used in care homes and other facilities......this method of control was abandoned voluntarily by youth improvement centers...... abuse has always been possible where access to the vulnerable is unavoidable and on a daily bases .....

to the instigators ... i hope you have nowhere to hide and no one to turn to your fate is in your hands do the decent thing for all there sakes....
 
The sad fact of the matter is that this type of abuse was endemic through the 60's/70's/80's and i only hope that this is no longer the case.

A point of note is that much of the abuse was carried out by 'older boys' whilst in detention. Whether or not this was condoned/ignored by the 'responsible adults' (ie those trusted with the 'care' of these children) seems to be biased by what has made the news over the years: only the bad made the news.

My brother-in-law and wife were exposed to this during the 60's/70's during spells where looking after them at home was too much trouble and the emotional scars are prevalent to this day.

I find it truly sad that the system in those days allowed for children to be condemned to the laughably named 'care homes' under such trivial circumstances - certainly today there are many youffs who would be better off as human beings were it for some discipline; how times have changed - on balance, probably for the better.

Certainly there were many adults at these institutions who abhhorently transgressed the rights of children knowing full well that no-one was interested to know. These events keep on coming to light after many years during which the lives of those abused have been irrevocably damaged, many have got on with life and succeeded despite their experiences whilst many have succumbed to depression and worse.

If ever there was an argument for capital punishemt - surely this is it.

rob
 
I was sent away to a boarding school aged 7 (back in the 70's).

A witnessed/experienced similar situations and abuse, physical more often than sexual was common place (perhaps not quite so extreme as in Jersey). A brutal place, run and staffed by a bunch of nutters who got immense pleasure out of inflicting pain on children. I think it was quite normal for it to happen in institutions of that kind back then and the job attracted a certain kind of person. The practice was so well rehearsed that they had it down to a tea. Carefully timed, carefully constructed deliberate abuse. Communications with the outside world were restricted, hell even letters home were censored. You're a young child stuck in this world and before long, it all becomes normal, routine even.... to the extent that in your mind nothing happening there is untoward or that you should report something. The offenders clearly knew the way this worked on children, they knew that given enough time without outside influences they could warp the minds of these pour souls to the point that they didn't fear what the children would say about them.

Not until many years later anyway and even then, 20 years on, where's the evidence?

One of the teachers at my school was convicted a few years ago (link) It is my understanding that he has been released already.

The rest of them seem to have got away with it... The one teacher who I did trust at the time (the gym teacher) we found dead at the bottom of the swimming pool one day.

No foul play they said... I dont believe a word of it. :rolleyes:
 
Last edited:
I get the horrible feeling that this goes way, way back to beyond the sixties, and perhaps prior to this period children have not spoke up?

Corporal punishment was a regular occurrence at most if not all schools and we should not let some reports divert attention to actions that are clearly way, way beyond what was acceptable punishment. I joined the services at the age of 15 and the worse punishment we had was the cane which was called 'Cuts' It was called this because that is what it did, it cut the skin. At the time this was an accepted punishment awarded for fighting or even worse..... stealing.

There were certainly none of the things that we are now reading about where children were put into stocks and left for days......... That is unbelievable and the actions of some very sick people and to me the headmaster and perhaps most of the staff must have known about this? How could children be placed in solitary confinement without senior supervisors knowledge. Rant mode developing so I had best shut-up.

John

Edit
I hear that the Devon and Cornwall Police are now offering assistance
 
I get the horrible feeling that this goes way, way back to beyond the sixties, and perhaps prior to this period children have not spoke up?

Corporal punishment was a regular occurrence at most if not all schools and we should not let some reports divert attention to actions that are clearly way, way beyond what was acceptable punishment. I joined the services at the age of 15 and the worse punishment we had was the cane which was called 'Cuts' It was called this because that is what it did, it cut the skin. At the time this was an accepted punishment awarded for fighting or even worse..... stealing.

There were certainly none of the things that we are now reading about where children were put into stocks and left for days......... That is unbelievable and the actions of some very sick people and to me the headmaster and perhaps most of the staff must have known about this? How could children be placed in solitary confinement without senior supervisors knowledge. Rant mode developing so I had best shut-up.

John

Edit
I hear that the Devon and Cornwall Police are now offering assistance

so are the cuts acceptable ... the regime of a care home is not that far removed from a boarding school .... every thing behind closed doors ... its away of getting through the night it's what you become used to. it becomes the norm...... all the care home's I have visited are in the middle of no-where .... all the boarding schools I have visited are in the middle of no-where .... get the similarity the purpose, you become as one with the building the people.... to be blunt after such treatment from the services ,public school,or a care home,....so what's worse being beaten by a stranger .....or your own family
 
so are the cuts acceptable ... the regime of a care home is not that far removed from a boarding school .... every thing behind closed doors ... its away of getting through the night it's what you become used to. it becomes the norm...... all the care home's I have visited are in the middle of no-where .... all the boarding schools I have visited are in the middle of no-where .... get the similarity the purpose, you become as one with the building the people.... to be blunt after such treatment from the services ,public school,or a care home,....so what's worse being beaten by a stranger .....or your own family
I understand what your saying but the frustrating thing is that not all these care homes were out in the back of beyond. We had one in the centre of Torquay and there was an evil home in Newton abbot which was in the national news a year or so ago for offences similar to what we are now hearing of. I cannot comment about the corporal punishment of schools or the use of the cane in training establishments, it was what it was.

I just did a quick search and found this extract of a poem

Down Laundry Hill on jankers, tin-hat shades the sweating-frown,
And bayonet bangin' 'ard against the thigh.
Rifles chafed our collar-bones, the hot sun scorching down,
From inverted bowl of blue, the summer sky.
"Do just as you are told, lad, make do with what you got!
Obey the orders, Boy! No 'ifs' or 'buts!"
Ganges discipline was 'hot', and some went 'on the trot,'
But they dragged 'em back and lashed 'em with twelve 'cuts.'

Laundry Hill was a very long steep hill with three lots of steps called , 'Faith' 'Hope' and 'Charity'. If we misbehaved, talked in class or failed to stand up when a lecturer entered the room, it was a case of holding a Lee Enfield .303 rifle above your head and running up and down these steps several times. I am only reciting all this to let folks know that times change and today we have different standards of right and wrong and how to deal with it. I would NEVER criticise those that made me run up and down that blooming hill. :eek: :eek: ;) I was 15 and thought I knew it all, those steps taught me different, but I do not consider I was abused.

Thinking back, at Lympstone the corporal instructor had a blooming rhino whip :devil: ;)

Do we want corporal punishment bought back to our schools?

Regards
John
 
Ah good old H.M.S. Ganges...friend of mind ended up being a "button boy" which put me off joining the "Andrew".:crazy::eek:

Corporal Punishment ..?? half of me says an outraged NO! the other half well...how do we re introduce respect & discipline into society? O.K. I know about it all having to be earned etc.

However, what also worked was a "healthy degree of fear produced a healthy degree of respect"

I too, remember being "rifted with rifle above head, but mine was around the perimeter of the Drill Square (hallowed ground) at Pirbright !!:eek:

See also http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/29/njersey429.xml words fail.
 
Last edited:

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom