Smoke and Mirrors in Jersey Abuse Scandal

When the brilliant Lenny Harper retired this past summer, many worried that the child abuse scandal in Jersey would quietly be swept under the proverbial rug.

Since Lenny’s departure, the silence from Jersey has been deafening.

I distinctly remember a poster at Senator Syvret’s site warning that Lenny’s replacement, David Warcup, deputy chief constable of Northumbria Police, was not to be trusted and things would revert back to “the Jersey way.”

Alas, that warning seems to be coming to fruition!

Two extraordinary events will occur today; Jersey Police held a presser this morning at which, Warcup announced they have ruled out murder and he expressed "much regret" at inaccurate information provided by his predecessors.

As to the 60-odd milk teeth unearthed at Haut de la Garenne? Warcup said, "There is no suggestion there has been murder or any bodies destroyed."

So, how did the teeth end up in the cellars of Haut de la Horror? As Syvret suggests, perhaps they were brought by the tooth fairy!

The senior detectives also announced that dozens of burnt bone fragments found in cellars could be hundreds of years old.

Pivotal word – “could”.

So, it is overly obvious Warcup has joined the ranks with the Bailhache boys and Frank Walker, who have always despised Lenny Harper.

Warcup’s outlandish statements not only trashes Lenny Harper, it’s also a swipe at Chief Officer Graham Power, to whom Lenny reported.

Question for Warcup - why is Graham Power not sacked due to the “inaccurate information provided by your predecessors?” Seems he would have been kicked to the curb for such a shoddy investigation, no?

And, why did the Association of Chief Police Officers, a peer review oversite for major investigations, issue three separate reports stating they were satisfied with the integrity of the investigation?

The second event is a presser to be held at 2pm, by none other than Frank Walker and cronies. There is little doubt that Frank will use the opportunity to condemn Harper, his investigation, and the testimony of victims. This will be his, “see, I told you nothing untoward happened in Jersey” moment - the, “all is well in Jersey and we, the government and judiciary, are a bunch of fine fellows.”

Now, why are these two pressers extraordinary events?

Timing – it’s all about timing!

This sudden flurry of activity is more than likely occurring now because the long-awaited Howard League report is due out Friday.

The Howard League for Penal Reform sent a review team to Jersey to investigate child protection issues in Febury 2008, at the invitation of Senator Syvret. The Howard League is a highly respected, non-politically aligned organization and is funded by voluntary donations

They were asked to investigate youth-justice and child-custody issues and they examined evidence, reviewed the law, and interviewed victims and whistle-blowers.

I sincerely doubt the report will be very complimentary to Frank and the other Stooges.

So, the spin-doctors are scurrying around and hard at work. These pressers appear to be choreographed and coordinated to dismiss the child abuse scandal and the evidence found at Haut de la Garenne. As well as, Lenny Harper, the victims who have come forward with serious abuse allegations and folks like Senator Syvert, Simon Bellwood and others.

It’s a transparently lame attempt to deflect the damaging information that will be revealed in the Howard League report.

It was never Stuart Syvret who was “shafting Jersey internationally” – all along, it has been Frank, et al.

Senator Stuart Syvret

Telegraph

Sky News