THE JERSEY CHILDREN - still unidentified

The Guardian

Saturday 25 April 2009

Corrections and clarifications

A Weekend magazine feature about an investigation into events at the Jersey children's home Haut de la Garenne mentioned the Madeleine McCann case in Portugal and said that after dogs trained to detect the scent of death had sounded the alarm over a car used by Madeleine's parents, Portuguese police claimed that the couple had killed their daughter. We should have made clear that the McCanns were never charged in relation to the disappearance of their daughter.

(continues.......)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2009/apr/25/corrections

This is Jersey

Letters to the Editor

30th April 2009

From Will McMahon, chairman, and Jim Goddard, secretary, Care Leavers’ Association UK.

Senator’s arrest was similar to disturbing incidents elsewhere

(snippet)

The arrest and interrogation of Senator Syvret on Monday 6 April marked a disturbing development in Jersey politics. As the motion for last week’s proposed – and then deferred – debate in the States Assembly put it, this incident could colossaI damage to the reputation of Jersey and represents double standards in its application of data protection legislation.
It was all too reminiscent of numerous attempts by states elsewhere to intimidate whistleblowers whenever uncomfortable truths are unearthed.

Indeed, the clearly excessive use of numerous police officers and police vehicles reminds one of the recent police arrest of Conservative immigration spokesman Damian Green here in the UK.

Going further back, there is a long history of such attacks on whistleblowers in the UK. The names of Sarah Tisdall and Clive Ponting, for example, will remind many readers of what governments routinely do to those it wishes to silence.

http://www.thisisjersey.com/2009/04/30/senators-arrest-was-similar-to-disturbing-incidents-elsewhere/

BBC – Jersey

1st May 2009

Syvret arrest proposition fails

States members discussed the recent arrest of Senator Stuart Syvret.


Senator Stuart Syvret

Deputy Geoff Southern, who brought the proposition, said that the arrest and detention of Senator Syvret and the search of his home brought up serious concerns about the safety of the confidentiality between a politician and his constituent.

Deputy Southern said it could affect whether people feel comfortable giving sensitive information to their representatives in the future.

(…)

Senator Syvret spoke as well, outlining his complaints against the police and the Attorney General, and saying why he felt there had been a biased and inconsistent application of the law. He compared himself to the Conservative UK politician Damian Green, being arrested merely for doing his political job.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/jersey/content/articles/2009/05/01/states_syvret_arrest_feature.shtml

RATHER LONG BUT WELL WORTH A READ

The Sunday Times

May 10, 2009

It's official: there was no child abuse in Jersey

Jersey’s authorities say its child-abuse inquiry was a waste of time — that the police got it wrong. So was all the ‘evidence’ a red herring or a whitewashed inconvenient truth? David James Smith, Britain’s foremost crime writer, investigates

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article6241652.ece

The Sun

12 May 2009

By BRIAN FLYNN

[b]Care home sex attacker guilty[b]

A CLEANER has admitted molesting boys at the notorious Jersey children's home at the centre of a sex abuse scandal.
Michael Aubin, 46, pleaded guilty to two counts of gross indecency and two of indecent assault on boys under ten the Haut de la Garenne home.

The Royal Court in St Helier heard how he carried out the attacks while he was a young resident at the home in the 1970s.
But Aubin, who was born on the island and lives in St Denys, Southampton, denied three further indecent charges.

They will now be dealt with after he has been sentenced on June 22.

(continues……………)

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2424675.ece

Daily Express

Tuesday May 12,2009

MAN ADMITS JERSEY CARE HOME ABUSE

Michael Aubin pleaded guilty to sexually abusing boys at Haut de la Garenne

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/100587/Man-admits-Jersey-care-home-abuse

Daily Echo

Tuesday 12th May 2009

Michael Aubin pleads guilty to Haut de la Garenne charges

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/4361724.Southampton_man_admits_Jersey_children_s_home_sex_abuse/

The Times

May 12, 2009

Haut de la Garenne ex-resident Michael Aubin guilty of child abuse

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article6273260.ece

ITN News

13th May 2009

Man admits Jersey care home abuse

http://itn.co.uk/317b6085d96d3d0fb176ac23c062e975.html

Daily Mail

13th May 2009

Man admits sex abuse at Jersey children's home

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1180894/Man-admits-sex-abuse-Jersey-childrens-home.html

British House of Commons – Early Day Motion

Friday, May 15, 2009

ARREST OF SENATOR STUART SYVRET

“That this House deplores the arrest and detention of Senator Stuart Syvret by the Jersey Police Force for alleged infractions of data protection laws; notes that the Senator was in receipt of information disclosed in the public interest, with which he is attempting to hold the Jersey government to account for a variety of profoundly serious child protection and clinical governance failures; condemns the manner of the Senator's arrest and the subsequent searching of his home by the police without a search warrant; further condemns the fact that substantial quantities of his constituents' private data were taken and copied by the Jersey police; considers this an intimidatory and anti-democratic action which the Senator is virtually powerless to challenge given the politicization of the Jersey judiciary and the propensity of the Jersey legislature to oppress minority members; and calls on the Secretary of State for Justice to fulfill his duties by exercising his constitutional powers to intervene and ensure good governance and the proper administration of justice in Jersey through requiring a separation of powers and the imposition of effective checks and balances in order that survivors of child abuse, and other victims of malfeasance gain the proper protection of justice; and considers that through such actions the UK will return to compliance with its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights, obligations which are breached by tolerating the situation in Jersey.”

John Hemming
Peter Bottomley
Austin Mitchell

http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=38651&SESSION=899


Explanation for forum members: Early Day Motions (EMDs) usually are not open to debate. EMDs are a vehicle for MPs to express concerns about specific issues. Normally, an MP won’t put their name to an EDM unless they truly understand the significance of the subject and are in agreement with it. MPs from any party are able to add their name in support of an EMD.

Procedurally, EDMs are limited to 250 words and must be read as a single sentence, so the motions tend to read a bit strange.

Law Officers Department - Jersey

[b]Statement from the Attorney General[b]

Jersey Historic Abuse Investigation

3rd June 2009

http://www.gov.je/NR/rdonlyres/58A20F03-8C74-4E25-BA89-64996BE58EB2/0/HCAPressRelease040609.pdf

BBC News

4 June 2009

[b]Two historic abuse cases dropped

Two cases in the Jersey historic abuse enquiry will not be prosecuted after they were dropped "for legal and evidential reasons".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/jersey/8082519.stm

Jersey Evening Post

16th June 2009

By Diane Simon

Court hears of ‘years of abuse’

http://www.thisisjersey.com/2009/06/16/court-hears-of-years-of-abuse/

Jersey Evening Post

17th June, 2009

‘I knew police would question me over abuse’

http://www.thisisjersey.com/2009/06/17/i-knew-police-would-question-me-over-abuse/