Saturday 1 December 2012

Jersey Child Abuse Committee of Inquiry TOR's

Former Jersey politician and 30 year veteran of the Met Police Bob Hill B.E.M. published a BLOG POSTING with his concerns of some omitted Terms Of Reference (TOR) for the Committee Of Inquiry concerning the decades of Child Abuse that was able to continue in Jersey.

Regular readers/viewers will be aware that former Chief Minister Terry Le Sueur commissioned Ed Marsden, of Verita, to draft suggested TOR's for the Committee of Inquiry which he/they did. In the meantime we had an election which saw Senator Ian Gorst elected as Chief Minister, and for reasons only understood by Senator Gorst, he commissioned Andrew Williamson to review the suggested TOR's of Verita and come up with a revised version.

Subsequently Mr. Williamson produced a 3 page document that was inaccurate, factually incorrect, and offered very little to the debate which was seen by some as a waste of time and taxpayers money.

Chief Minister Gorst then went on to lodge P118/2012 and told us "Verita’s recommendations had been used as the foundation for its TOR's" but as former Deputy Hill pointed out there were at least two TOR's that were omitted by the Chief Minister from the Verita TOR's which are; 

"Determine whether the concerns in 2007 were sufficient to justify the States of Jersey Police setting in train Operation Rectangle."

"Review what actions the government took when concerns came to light in 2008 and what, if any, lessons there are to be learned."

Mr. Hill addresses these omissions on his own BLOG and in the video below. There a few more anomalies that have recently come to light concerning the Chief Ministers suggested TOR's which we will be Blogging about in the coming weeks.

In this in-depth interview with Mr. Hill we discuss, among many other related issues, the, what appears to be, very low profile stance adopted by Chief Police Officer Mike Bowron concerning the alleged abuse committed by Jimmy Savile on the island. Why has there not been a high profile campaign in order to encourage Abuse Victims to come forward, as the MET have adopted with "Operation Yew-tree?" The impression given by Jersey's Deputy Chief Police Officer Barry Taylor,  that the MET police are controlling the States Of Jersey Police is also discussed.

Jersey has a once in a lifetime opportunity, with this Committee of Inquiry into the horrific Child Abuse that was able to be kept under wraps for decades. An ideal opportunity to restore confidence in the Police Force after the damage inflicted on it by Messrs Warcup and Gradwell. An ideal opportunity to show the world at large that the government is NOT willing to leave any stone left unturned to ensure the "failings" of the past can be repeated. An ideal opportunity to show that the culture that has existed up until very recently (and possibly still exists) will no longer be tolerated and that children in Jersey are safe from predatory paedophiles.

The Terms of Reference, submitted by the Council of Ministers/Chief Minister, need to be far reaching and fit for purpose. So far this does not appear to be the case and those of us who want to rid Jersey of its reputation as a paedophile protecting secret jurisdiction ask that the Chief Minister amends his own proposition to include the omitted TOR's of Verita or explain why they have been omitted.

Jersey, and more importantly, the Victims and Survivors of Child Abuse, need to be able to move forward and put this dark period in Jersey's History behind them. Without a full, robust, far reaching and fit for purpose Committee Of Inquiry this will not be possible and the reputation of Jersey, on the world stage, will not recover.









18 comments:

  1. The correct TOR will be useless if people don't ask the right questions.
    Scrutiny had Minister of Health Pryke in for the 13th time since the elections on Friday but not a question was asked about Jersey Savile connections. This in spite of lawyer Allan Collins already announcing that he is briefed to pursue the Savile estate for abuses committed in Jersey.
    Can he do this without Jersey Police participation?
    I asked Deputy Pryke after the hearing whether her Department was carrying out any Savile related enquiries. No she said - that would be a matter for the Police. Pressed in view of the residential homes run by Health she still replied "None."
    Health is just one of the three departments jointly entrusted with the care of children in Jersey - have any other Minsiters or Assistant Ministers initiated any enquiries ... I think we all know the answer. Pryke was asked about the progress on ratifying the Rights of the Child convention and the appointment of a Childrens' Minister or Commissioner...by Scrutiny Deputies Moore, Hilton and Reed.
    Why not give THEM a call if you want to know what Pryke replied...

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  2. VFC:

    You posting quotes one of the ToRs omitted by Ian Gorst:

    "Review what actions the government took when concerns came to light in 2008 and what, if any, lessons there are to be learned."

    But think about it?

    Does even that - omitted - ToR actually address what needs addressing?

    Or is it more diversionary spin?

    Note how it - expressly - says "2008".

    I know some people tend have a memory problem with the facts - but "the concerns" first came to light - in the public sense - in July 2007.

    That was when I answered a question in the Jersey parliament, and said I had no faith in the child-protection system and that it needed an independent external inquiry.

    That point is deeply relevant - and it bares people being reminded of it, time and time again.

    Why?

    Because - "what actions did the Jersey government take when those concerns came to light?" - "In July 2007"?

    The Jersey government - and its senior civil servants - engaged in an overt - and grossly illegal - obstruction and suppression of the Social Services Minister - the actual public authority empowered in the Children Law to do what he was doing. That same law actually required the rest of the cabinet to assist in the Minister's investigations.

    No meaningful investigation into Jersey's child-abuse history and failures can be taken seriously - unless and until an investigation examines the illegal obstruction and oppression of the Social Services Minister. As engaged in by the rest of the cabinet.

    And that involves examining the actions of the Jersey government in 2007 - before 2008.

    Likewise - a similar point must be made again and again - concerning the illegal suppression of the Police Chief in November 2008 and onwards.

    Unless that matter is - expressly - examined - the proposed "public inquiry" is actually worse than useless.

    Worse - because it enables those core issues to be sidestepped - dodged - pushed to one side, and forgotten about.

    Stuart

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  3. Where can one find the file note written by Graham Power regarding the political meeting held by Civil Servants to get rid of Stuart?

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  4. “Note book entry made of 25th July, 2007

    16.00. I am at HQ having just returned from a meeting of the CMB (Corporate Management Board.) During the meeting BO (Bill Ogley) said that he would wish some of us to remain afterwards to discuss the comments of the Health Minister Senator Syvret in relation to child protection issues. He told the full meeting that it was possible that the COM (Council of Ministers) would pass a notice of “no confidence” tomorrow and ask this to be confirmed by a full meeting of the States specially convened for that purpose. This would result in Senator Syvret having to leave Office. It was also mentioned that the island’s Child Protection Committee (C.P.C) was meeting that afternoon and I was asked if we would be represented. I got the impression that those present saw that meeting as particularly significant, and felt that “something was going on” which others knew about but I did not.

    I said that I did not know about the meeting (I would not usually know) and that I assumed Insp. Fossey (Detective Inspector Alison Fossey) who BO knows and we both referred to as “Alison” would be representing the force.

    After the meeting, myself, TMcK (Tom McKeon, Chief Officer Education, Sport & Culture) and MP (Mike Pollard, Chief Officer, Health & Social Services) and Ian C (Ian Crich, Director, States HR Department) remained behind. I was handed a copy of a report to Ministers and associated papers, which I have stamped and initialled. The discussion was led by BO who disclosed that the C.P.C would, this afternoon be discussing a vote of no confidence in the Minister. MP and TMcK did not seem surprised at this. MP seemed to be fully signed up to this course of action.

    Attempts were made by BO to draw me into this. I was told that my people were “part of” the island’s arrangements and I should show collective support by opposing the criticism made by the Minister. I was taken aback by this but responded in two ways. Firstly I said leaving aside issues of style and manner the questions raised by the Minister were valid. Particularly in respect of the time it had taken for the abuse of a [child] in [a] case to come to the notice of the police and the apparent failure of child protection to give it priority. I said that the SCR (Serious Case Review) was a poor effort which missed the hard questions and I was not surprised that the Minister was not impressed. I conceded that all of the questions might have answers, I just thought they were good questions and ones which a Minister could validly ask. There was also some discussion of the Victoria College and Holland cases which was not central to the issue.

    BO and the others were persistent and I was left with the clear impression that they were attempting to draw me, in my capacity as Chief of Police, into a civil service led attempt to remove a Minister from Office.

    Having concluded this I then moved on to my second point which was that even if I agreed with everything they said I would still have nothing to do with it. They were engaging in what I saw as political activity and it was entirely inappropriate that I should be involved one way or the other. The fact that “I will have nothing to do with this” was made clearly. At this point BO said “in that case, goodbye”, or something very similar. I picked up my papers. There was no bad feeling or bad words, we just disagreed. As soon as I was outside I rang SDV (Shaun Du Val, Head of Operations) and alerted him to the possible problems at the C.P.C. AF rang me not long afterwards and told me that she had abstained. I told her to put this beyond all doubt by a follow-up e-mail to the Chair. I made this notebook entry then walked over to Ops for it to be timed in the relevant machine.

    Graham Power, 16.39, Wed. 25th July 2007.”

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  5. The TOR's won't mean a thing if they get an ourchap to chair it. There are none as blind or uninquiring as those who will not see or ask the relevant questions.

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  6. Good interview you guys, showing the world how Jersey deals child abuse.

    Our Establishment is nothing BUT CORRUPT

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  7. There is a good point made here Jersey Today The terms of reference avoid looking at systemic issues - why?

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  8. "Note how it - expressly - says "2008".

    Stuart rightly points out this exactness in Gorst's proposed TOR and where it leads.

    Simples - remove the offending date.

    Funny how it was put in. Maybe "2008" is seared into everybody's heads as THE date. (I say this because I am really not sure that Verita would have done this deliberately. That would be to say that they too are are part of the conspiracy.)

    But of course it isn't THE date. Stuart is absolutely right.

    Some of us are working on this matter of the TOR . . But will Gorst listen? Alternatively, what will make him listen?

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  9. Is there a copy of Alison Fossey's file note somewhere on the web? I agree with Daniel by Gorst changing the date to 2008 cuts out one of the most significant episodes in this stinking corrupt mess by mischievously removing the health minister who wanted the child abuse investigated.

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  10. If memory serves correct Stuart published Detective Inspector Fossey's file note perhaps he could send us the link?

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  11. When swearing is allowed! The comment section is FAR WORSE than the article :(

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  12. Is TJW going to put up the audio from yesterdays sitting in particular Monty question on the COI? Ta

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  13. Deputy Tadier has the recording and will be publishing it on his own Blog possibly tomorrow.

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  14. Hi VFC.

    Just put up Questions without Answers from Tuesday you & your readers can Listen HERE

    TJW.

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  15. How the people are denied a fair trial in Jersey....The legacy of LIARS, LAWYERS, AND JU-RATS!!!

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  16. Jersey's Chief Minister avoids Child Abuse Questions HERE

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  17. Looks like there is a blanket ban on prosecuting any BENT COPS

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  18. Hi VFC.

    Just put up the Audio from this morning of the Insideout Journalist nailing our Home Affairs Minister.

    This one should work.

    You & your readers can Listen HERE

    TJW

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