Dead Child Found Tied To Her Crib

There are some stories that put a lump in your throat and tears in your eyes. When police found little four-year-old Marchella Pierce, she appeared to be tied to her crib with a jump rope and weighed only 15 pounds. That's what a typical 3-month-old child would weigh.



ABC News reports:

Police say Pierce was so emaciated that her bones were sticking out. They also said she had trauma to her arms, ankles and wrists.

They say the child's mother, Carlola Pierce, waited three hours before she called 911 for her unresponsive daughter.

Jersey Finally Sentences “The Perv”

Gordon Wateridge, nicknamed, “The Perv” by his victims, was sentenced to two years in jail today for repeatedly sexually assaulting children at Haut de la Garenne.

Described as a ''persistent sexual bully'' during his trial, Wateridge was found guilty of eight charges of indecent assault against young girls and one charge of assault against a young boy in court last month.

Judge Christopher Pitchers said, "What he did was rightly described in the trial as sexual bullying," adding that the acts carried out by Wateridge against the girls were at the "lower end" of the sentencing guidelines, but he also noted "There is no such thing as a trivial indecent assault of child."

Crown Advocate Stephen Baker claimed, "The offences were committed against the victims sometimes took place in the presence of other children so as to cause particular humiliation."

Defense Advocate Michael Preston argued for a "merciful" sentence because he claims Wateridge is "being held up as a scapegoat".

He said the offences came to light in the midst of the media frenzy surrounding the "discredited" police investigation into events at Haut de la Garenne.

Wateridge sentence is 21 months for each of the eight indecent assault charges, to run concurrently, and for three months, consecutively, for the assault on the boy.

Wateridge also pleaded guilty to possession of two unlicensed air pistols, a silencer, and 48 rounds of ammunition that were found by police during a raid on his home.

Wateridge was not sentenced on the weapons charges.

So, there you have it! Wateridge was found guilty at trial - the man AG Bailhache said he didn’t want charged and thanks to Lenny Harper was ultimately charged.

Did you note while in court, Advocate Preston referred to the “discredited” police investigation of Haut de la Garenne? Hmmm...charged, convicted, sentenced?

Is this justice? Or is this the sacrificial lamb being offered up? Are some saying, “glad that’s over with, now we can go back to things as usual in Jersey”? – I’m leaning toward the latter.

Telegraph

Metro.uk

Lenny Unleashed - The Jersey Way

~Lenny Harper

Its been going on – mostly behind closed doors - for several years. Since Lenny Harper’s retirement and departure from Jersey, the politicos, and media have - in a very public way - attempted to tarnish and denigrate Lenny Harper and his team regarding the child abuse investigation, specifically Haut de la Garenne.

While those of us who have followed this scandal have watched these shenanigans, spin doctoring, and well ok, the spewing of out-and-out lies, the assaults began to take on a shocking intensity and frequency as the Gordon Wateridge case got under way.

So, that begs the question WHY?

WHY did the ‘faux’ journalist, Diane Simon – a disgrace to journalists, worldwide – write totally false and misleading information about Lenny and the investigation? And, least we forget Mr. Harper has addressed the issues directly with her and by email on several occasions.

WHY does The Rag editor, Chris Bright allow such tripe to run in his paper? Has the JEP never heard of investigative reporting? Verifying sources? Unbiased Journalism? Oh wait - the only paper on the island is a government puppet.

WHY do Mick Gradwell and David Warcup obviously go out of their way to tarnish the investigation and call into question Mr. Harper’s integrity? Mick Gradwell, in a recent flurry of activity, has suddenly shown up in print and on local TV to specifically trash, and well ok, spew out-and-out lies about Lenny and the investigation. How ironic that Gradwell chose to blatantly proffer his rubbish just as he retired and left the island - to avoid questioning by responsible journalists?

WHY did and does the Jersey government, continue to interfere with the investigation?

Lenny has responded to the claims and assertions on Senator Stuart Syvert’s blog – not much sense responding to The Rag now, is there?

Some bits and pieces:

Ms. Simon and officers Warcup and Gradwell seem to be saying that I became a really bad cop “overnight.”

I do not know a lot about Mr. Warcup or the now retired Mr. Gradwell.

I do not know the extent of Mr. Warcup’s practical experience…

However, I do know that he has admitted destroying evidence in the abuse case - which perhaps does give some clue as to his motivation or professional judgment.

Haut de la Garenne a waste of time and money:

The attention seeking headline in the Gradwell article was that the operation at Haut de la Garenne was “a waste of time and money.” According to Mr. Gradwell, as reported in the JEP, the decision to excavate was made without hard evidence or intelligence. Up until then, he said, the enquiry was being run “essentially along UK lines.” Okay – if I understand him then, we were doing OK until we decided to excavate HDLG. It follows then that he would not have done so. He would have ignored all that we found and walked away. Here again are the (much repeated) reasons why we excavated - in chronological sequence.

There was evidence from one witness that a child had been chased by a member of staff through an upper floor corridor and in desperation had leapt out of a high window. The child had not been seen again. We had non-specific information from a number of witnesses that they had witnessed children being dragged away at night and not being seen again. There was intelligence of illegal forced abortion and of a stillborn child.

I found all of this highly alarming and worrying but I did not consider at that stage that it warranted a full excavation of HDLG. (This is an important point, because after speaking to Gradwell and Warcup, the Met Police accused me of ordering the excavation on the evidence of a few “disturbed” people.

I arranged to go to the UK to meet experts who would be well qualified to advise us on the way forward.

The decision made at this meeting was that we should carry out an initial reconnaissance of the site over a short period to seek to clarify a number of objectives. It was decided that we would deploy several different assets, to be deployed in a “systematic fashion using best value and best practice guidelines.” In simple terms, we wanted to establish if there was anything there which would need further investigation - or if we could “walk away” from it -without further investigation.

Evidence and reports disappear:

…during this process that builders who had worked on the site told us that a few years before they had found bones they were convinced were human but had been told to ‘forget them’ and “let bygones be bygones.” (Eventually these bones were examined by a Jersey Pathologist after police had called her to the home. She told the officer “I don’t like the look of this,” but was later to say she could not remember making that comment. She was “not saying it wasn’t made, but just couldn’t remember it.” She took the bones to her boss whose extremely short (five lines) report said the bones were too large to be human but also stated that one of the bones “could not identified.” He gave the measurements of the bones and our anthropologist took issue with his findings saying that the size of the bone concerned was within the size range of a child. Unfortunately the bones were destroyed by the pathologist without being examined by an anthropologist. Our advice was that they should have been so examined as the pathologist was not qualified to rule on whether or not they were human. The builders told us that they had found two child’s shoes with the bones. The pathologist told us that he had sent them for examination and had been told they were Victorian. The person he said he sent them to remembered no such incident. Unfortunately the shoes too had been destroyed and were unavailable to us.

Lenny was wrong when he claimed there was murder:

Messrs Gradwell and Warcup said there was no evidence of murder and that my team was wrong to say there was. They are not telling the truth, deliberately or otherwise - because I had never said there was evidence of murder - only evidence that there was something that needed investigation.

There are many, many examples of what I did, actually say, to be found still. Check the BBC News website on 31st July 2008. Read David James Smith’s excellent article in the Sunday Times. (Reproduced in Stuart Syvret’s blog on Sunday, 10th May, 2009). They all state - clearly and unequivocally - that I was saying ‘we did not have evidence of murder’.

We think we know how the bones ended up where we found them, and that was expertly laid out by Karl Harrison in his Archaeological Theory of the Burnt Debris including Human Bone Fragments and teeth found in the East wing. We included his report in the document we posted on our website. Strangely enough when the Sunday Times journalist David James Smith attempted to access this document it had been removed under Warcup’s leadership. David James Smith was told by the Press Officer that there had been a problem with the computer. Of course there was!

Gradwell inherited a mess from Lenny:

Mr. Gradwell says he inherited an ill managed mess, that there were no proper papers left behind. Here, he is in conflict with the ACPO Review team, who said, in their report, the policy books were properly kept and maintained.

Three convictions:

Which brings me to another very inconvenient fact for Mr.Gradwell, which is this:

All three convictions so far have resulted from the work done by my team’s enquiry.

He looked very proud and self-important as he stood on the steps of the court after the Wateridge conviction. It must have crossed his mind, surely, that all three convicted had already been charged and made their first court appearances before he’d even arrived in the island?

One has to wonder why the Attorney General, William Bailhache, sent instructions to me not to charge Wateridge? It is fortunate indeed that I was a rather thick cop and “misunderstood” the instructions conveyed to me by a lawyer. Otherwise it is possible the now convicted Wateridge may never have even been charged.

The Maguire’s

A few other things about that Gradwell JEP interview: He said in it, when referring to the disgraceful case where the lawyer changed ‘his mind’ after telling us to arrest the ‘lovely’ pair - who delighted in hitting children in the back of the head with cricket bats - that it was one of my own team who told the lawyers there was not enough evidence. I find this rather unlikely for a number of reasons. Firstly, my team were very angry at the late changing of the decision. They had been told by the lawyer that subject to interview this pair should be charged with serious assaults. We of course had an agreement that we would arrest no one unless we got the go ahead from the lawyers appointed by the AG. We adhered to this.

The team arrested this pair - only to have the rug snatched from under their feet. After a rather strained conversation with the AG’s lawyer, who was sitting on a platform in a railway station in the North of England with trains running in the background, I ignored his instructions and called the Centenier into the police station to charge these two. Mr. Gradwell of course would not have done this he says. In any event, the Centenier stated that although he agreed that there was ample evidence to charge, he did not want to go against the lawyer’s ‘revised’ instruction. Never mind justice or the victims!

No human remains have been found:

Of course, Mr. Gradwell didn’t just sound off to the JEP. On the BBC he asked the question why, if I had evidence or intelligence about rapes 20 or 30 years ago did I then dig for human remains? I think that question is answered clearly above. He said there were no human remains found. I beg to differ. For a start, there were approximately 70 children’s teeth. Of course, Mr.Gradwell thinks they are down to the Tooth Fairy. Forget what two experts said. But let us look at his claim that “only one human bone was found and that was from the ‘Plantagenet’ era.”

….numerous bones were examined by the UK Anthropologist Andrew Chamberlain who issued a report saying the bone examined was human juvenile, had been burnt soon after death, and buried soon after burning. He also said that the bones were no more than a few decades old. His report, strangely enough, has never been mentioned by Mr. Warcup or Mr. Gradwell.

Skull or coconut:

Diane Simon - “Harper lied about the fragment” seemed to be the gist of her recent story. I have already gone through this with her two or three times, personally, face to face, and a couple of times on e-mail.

...we received an e-mail from a Ms Brock at the Laboratory in relation to the fragment. Here are some excerpts from the e-mail.

“Hi Vicky. Here are the details of the Jersey skull as discussed on the phone earlier. As I said, the chemistry of this bone is extremely unusual – nothing I am familiar with.”

“During the first acid washes we often get a lot of fizzing as the mineral dissolves. The Jersey skull didn’t fizz at all, which suggested that preservation was poor, and which led me to test the nitrogen content of the bone.”

“The Jersey skull had 0.60 nitrogen, which suggested that it contained virtually no collagen. Once we had this result, Tom phoned you and told you it would be unlikely that we could date the sample, but that we would continue with the pre-treatment just in case.”

“Very surprisingly, the sample yielded 1.6% collagen (our cut off for dating is 1%).”

“As there is no nitrogen it cannot contain collagen unless it is highly degraded. The chances are it is highly contaminated and any date we get for it might not be accurate. I have e-mailed the director and asked if we should proceed with a date.”

It is clear from those e-mails that the lab did not know what the fragment was. Why, then, have Messrs Simon, Gradwell, and Warcup insisted that the fragment was identified as a coconut by a person qualified to do so? By the time I retired, the only person to suggest the item might be a fragment of coconut was a technician who was trying to date it. No Anthropologist has ever identified it as such. One way to clear this would be to have it further examined, and I am not aware if that has ever been done. I am told, rightly or wrongly, however, that it has been lost. If true, how convenient.

Harper is a bully:

Several journalists have told me that Mr. Gradwell and indeed his boss in Jersey, have alleged that I was a bully, and that I aroused fear among officers. I certainly hope I did arouse fear among a small minority of officers.

There was no doubt we did deal firmly with the bullies and the few corrupt members of staff. All of the allegations of bullying made against me seem to have come from those who were dealt with in this fashion. Bullies do not take kindly to being stood up to. Several of the corrupt cops that we removed from the force complained about their treatment. Without exception their complaints were found to be malicious or unsubstantiated. Several of them even tried to damage the historical abuse enquiry.

Hostility from those in power:

I already knew the hostility that existed among many politicians and other areas of the establishment. I had my first taste of this back in 2007 the day I went public with the enquiry. I was ordered to attend at the office of Frank Walker, the Chief Minister. I went there with Graham Power and found that also present with Walker, were Bill Ogley and Home Affairs Minister Wendy Kinnard.

Walker started off by telling me I was looking at a very angry Chief Minister. I asked why. The conversation then went as follows:

FW. “You have been talking to Stuart Syvret.”

LH. “Yes I have. It was necessary for me to talk to him as not only does he have evidence that I may need, but the victims trust him and he may be able to persuade them to come to us.”

FW. “But you told him that you were going public.” (Stuart had released a press statement that morning to coincide with mine – a move which I have to admit, I did not anticipate!!)

LH. “Yes, but I also told you I was going public.”

FW. “But you showed him your press statement.”

LH. “Chief Minister, I showed it to you.”

FW. “But we’re the Government.”

Bill Ogley then intervened to ask me, “You do realise this could bring down the Government?” I told him that was not my concern. My concern was getting to the truth.

There then followed an argument about my use of the word “victims” in the media release. Walker ordered me not to use it. He explained that there were no victims until someone was convicted. I told him that was not the case. When someone alleged that they were a victim of crime, they were a victim.

So, back to WHY.

WHY the lies, the spin, the interference?

WHY so much cover-up to protect people who are guilty of various crimes?

WHY has evidence been lost or admittedly destroyed?

Lenny Harper has responded to the majority of these allegations many times. Was I shocked at anything? Nope! Putting it all together and seeing it laid out in one place, at one time, is what is shocking.

One last WHY.

WHY do the coppers, The Rag, and the government continue to believe folks in Jersey and around the world will be hoodwinked by this farce? It is insulting to any thinking person!

Well done Lenny and Stuart! You both could have walked away long ago; yet you didn’t. I speak for many when I say thank you for your continued commitment, integrity, and dedication to justice!

There is so much more detail on Senator Syvert’s blog.

The Jersey Establishment And JEP - A Symbiotic Relationship

So, we now have three child abuse convictions yet, we still have many tough questions that need to be answered and we have learned firsthand how the government and The Rag respond to crisis in Jersey.

If, as some highly placed members of the establishment would have the good folks of Jersey and the international community believe, nothing untoward occurred at Haut de la Garenne, child abuse on the island was not an issue, nor was it hidden or covered up, how do we now have 3 guilty verdicts?

Does this not also mean that the brave victims who came forward weren't lying or having faulty memories as was so often intimated?

If nothing happened at Haut de la Garenne, again as so often intimated, why did Detective Superintendent Mick Gradwell say 'Gordon Wateridge, a house parent at Haut de la Garenne, was a sexual bully towards vulnerable young girls in his care. We hope the complainants involved in this trial have received some comfort from the decision reached by the court' ?

During the infamous November 2008 presser by David Warcup and Mick Gradwell, Warcup expressed much regret at inaccurate information provided by his predecessors.

Yes, that would be Lenny Harper and Graham Power - why then have Warcup and Gradwell never explained the 60-odd milk teeth, many with roots still attached, that were unearthed at Haut de la Garenne?

Instead of dismissing them as 'possibly' being hundreds of years old, why have Warcup and Gradwell not had the dozens of burnt bones carbon dated to determine their age?

Now, it is highly important to remember that on the very same day as the Warcup presser, Frank Walker held his own presser that pretty much echoed Warcup's.

These pressers, were seen as being staged and choreographed to divert attention from the impending release of the critical The Howard League Report on child abuse in Jersey.

So, true to the 'Jersey way' the establishment and The Rag spin-doctors went into a frenzy of activity to trash Lenny Harper, Graham Power and others. It was a transparently lame attempt to deflect the damaging information contained in The Howard League Report.

OK, fast forward to this past Thursday.

You just know a bunch of folks had to be on pins and needles waiting for the verdict in the Gordon Wateridge case. I imagine more than a few conversations were held in backrooms that went somewhat like this - I'm sure it's nothing, but what if, god forbid, these jokers come back with a guilty verdict? What shall we do?

So, the government mouthpiece and puppet agent - The Rag - trumpets not the GUILTY headline, but Lawyer: Harper made up remains' story.

The Rag's Diane Simon was more than obliging to trash Lenny again in an attempt to divert attention from the guilty verdict and the bad light that places the establishment in.

Yesterday after Claude Donnelly was sentenced to 15 years for 15 counts of indecent assault, rape and procuring an act of gross indecency, what was The Rag spouting as a headline?

A case of 'lies and half-truths'

STRONG criticism of former police chief Lenny Harper's handling of the Haut de la Garenne inquiry has been voiced by a lawyer and a senior judge, who called his media activites 'extraordinary'.

Oh, Diane, Diane! Is it really so difficult to follow the day's real story? Is it so hard to do some true investigative work, ask the really tough questions and stop being an establishment shill?

Oh, and did The Rag publish Lenny Harper's highly detailed response to Ms Simon? Nope, nada!

So, does the establishment feed off The JEP or does The JEP feed of the establishment? I don't know maybe it's just me, but I find this all highly insulting and it so predictable it's become a sad joke.

How Bad Is It In Jersey? Pretty Damn Bad!

The fate of Gordon Wateridge, alleged Haut de la Garenne child abuser, rests with the 10 man and 2 woman jury. Quite frankly, I have always felt that Wateridge was the token fall-guy; chosen to shut-up the victims, their champions and the public as well.

Will there be justice? The skeptic and cynic in me say ‘nope’ because I believe this will go the ‘Jersey way’.

First, we are already aware the entire abuse investigation is/was being terminated – plug pulled! With all the ‘bs’ the government served up, really makes this no surprise.

Second, 10 men and 2 women deciding the fate of a 78-year-old man? Ya really think they’ll put this old man away for things that happened years ago?

Several things have occurred that are absolutely appalling and despicable.

The trial was actually halted for a day because new evidence had been discovered which needed to be reviewed by all parties.

Supposedly, emails between several witnesses, discussing the case had been found (hmmm, my hinky meter automatically went off). The witnesses were recalled and all vehemently denied the accusation. That was pretty much all that came out of it.

Throughout Wateridge’s trial, the defense made several remarks about the jury needing to be skeptical of evidence as investigative errors could have been made.

Ok, what exactly does that mean?

As unbelievable as it sounds, the defense actually told the court in arguments, that errors like Lenny Harper believing a “nut/partial remains of a child’s skull” could possibly be relevant when he knew full well it was found in a layer of ground that predated the construction of Haut de la Garenne should make them suspect.

So, Lenny Harper’s blundering is reason for the jury should be skeptical of Wateridge’s guilt. Harper wasn’t even in Jersey when the allegded sexual abuse by Wateridge occurred.

I’m begging, can anyone please explain what in heaven’s name does Lenny Harper have to do with Gordon Wateridge being a ‘sexual bully’?

Yeah, I’m pretty disgusted with the government and justice system in Jersey, but how much worse can it get? Just wait!

The one and only paper, the Jersey Evening Post (JEP), more commonly known as The Rag, is yet again blatantly showing that it truly is a mouthpiece and puppet of the government.

JEP Headline 8-18 - Home children ‘treated like family’

The article goes on discuss Wateridge denying all charges and replying “not true” when asked about each allegation and well, Gordon sounds like an ok guy.

Read the article here

Ok, maybe it’s not that bad and I just let the skeptic and cynic in me take hold, but the truly egregious headline screaming off the front page yesterday was - Lawyer: Harper made up ‘remains’ story

The article repeats what the defense said in court that trashes Lenny Harper just as the Jersey government consistently does. Oh yeah, let’s not forget the trash that is spouted by the government and parroted by The Rag, is totally dishonest.

Read article here

So knowing all this, I decided to pop in on Stuart Syvret and I’m truly glad I did! You see, Lenny Harper has written an amazing response to The Rag. (By the way the so-called reporter who wrote the article had no by-line, however Harper address the response to Diane Simon. We’ve seen Ms. Simon’s handywork before.) Harper really calls her out on some of the false implications.

You are right. I do not trust the Jersey authorities. There are many reasons why. Try the lies they told the media about what I had said - try blaming me for unlawful spending when I have an e mail - highlighted by the Sunday Times only a few weeks ago, where I am firmly admonished by Bill Ogley on behalf of the Chief Minister for daring to consider the costs of the enquiry - "Cost is irrelevant" he said. The Sunday Times highlighted this and other untrue assertions made by them. I would trust a fox in a chicken house more than I trust the Jersey authorities.

[…] the authorities are so desperate to deprive the victims of justice once again that they will stoop to any level. Nothing surprises me anymore.

Read Lenny’s full response on Stuart Syvret’s blog.

Just as I was finishing this rant, headlines came across stating that Wateridge was found guilty of eight charges and cleared on and additional 12 charges. He was also found guilty of assaulting a teenage boy.

No word on sentencing.

BBC

Huckaby Ordered To Court 8/17

Originally scheduled to appear in court in mid-September, prosecutors have moved up the hearing and are having Melissa Huckaby appear in court this Monday at 1pm.

After the body of 8-year-old Sandra Cantu was discovered stuffed in a suitcase and dumped in a dairy drainage pond, Huckaby was arrested April 10 and charged with:

Murder with special circumstances of lewd and lascivious acts on a child
Rape by instrument
Kidnapping

She pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Several weeks ago, a secret criminal grand jury was convened to consider the evidence and to determine whether or not to prosecute Huckaby, but no indictment has been handed down as of yet. The scheduling of Monday's court appearance seems to signal the grand jury has decided to indict and Huckaby will likely be arraigned and given a trial date.

A gag order issued early on in the case prevents those involved with the case from discussing it with reporters or the public.

Tracy Press
News 10

Another Outrage In Jersey

UPDATED

Within minutes if not already, Senator Stuart Syvret will be arrested and charged with breaches of the Data Protection Law. As you recall, the good Senator was jailed for seven hours and his residence tossed without a warrant last month. He has been told to present at Police Headquarters at 5.00 pm this afternoon.

This latest outrage comes on the heels of William Bailahche’s announcement the charges and cases against eleven accused child rapists, child batterers, and those who concealed the child abuse are to be dropped.

At this point it is unknown whether Stuart will be allowed bail or will be kept in jail for an unspecified period of time.

Least you forget, William Bailhache is the Attorney General and solely in charge of prosecution decisions in Jersey.

I shall be emailing Mr. Bailhache in a few moments politely (gag) reminding him that he, himself, is not beyond reproach or above the law!

He does so enjoy having his clerk respond to me!

Update from Stuart

Oh - by the way - I'm out...two charges under the data protection law - both very incompetently written.

And guess what? The charging officer stated unambiguously that the charges had been brought under the direction of Bill Bailhache.

Justice - Jersey style.

Senator Stuart Syvret Blog

Jersey - The Ultimate And Final Betrayal

It really comes as no great or unexpected surprise, yet it does not lessen the profound sadness and despair I, many in Jersey, and people, internationally feel.

The historic abuse inquiry is to be formally announced as “over” – by Gradwell, Warcup and their puppet-master, Bill Bailhache - they’ve decided that it can all be wrapped-up now.

As I sit here weeping for the victims, their unwavering advocates and supporters, the professional and dogged investigators who uncovered volumes of evidence exposing the abuse perpetrators, I am left with a feeling of hollowness and anguish for the good and decent folks of Jersey who continue to suffer at the hands of the upper-crust government buffoons.

“…know this – the memory of this horrifying, decades-old history of foul and monstrous abuse – and the memory of those who contributed to the concealing of that abuse – is not going away; will never be hidden – will never be forgotten about.

So this is not the end.

On the contrary – we live in the 21st century – when those who were weak have now become strong.

The abusers, those who have failed to prevent that abuse, those who have concealed that abuse, those who have contributed to the barbarism and criminality of the suppression of the truth – are going to be beaten.

Victims, Senator Stuart Syvret, Lenny Harper, Graham Power, Simon Bellwood, John Hemming and all of those I have come to know and deeply respect and admire in the past two years, know you have continued support and we will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in the fight for justice!

Senator Stuart Syvret Blog

Jersey 7/4/09 Protest March For Justice Photos

Meting Out Justice In Jersey

It has been an interesting few weeks in the island of Jersey - specifically relating to Claude Donnelly and Michael Aubin.

It has been several long, investigative years into the widespread child abuse scandal in Jersey with Haut de la Garenne children’s home being the most recognized name at the center of the scandal.

Many – in and outside the island - are of the opinion given the judicial system in Jersey and the rumors and allegations swirling of many prominent figures about having been involved with or plainly covering-up the abuse for decades, justice for the alleged victims may never be achieved.

Last week, 69-year-old Claude Donnelly was found guilty of 15 counts of indecent assault, rape, and procuring an act of gross indecency. All of the charges relate to a woman who told the court Donnelly began abusing her when she was eight.

Donnelly admitted to indecently assaulting the woman twice when she was 13 or 14, but denies raping her on four occasions, indecently assaulting her nine times and causing her to commit an act of gross indecency on him.

As we so often hear from the defense the victim gets portrayed as the guilty party. Advocate Baker told the jury they would hear evidence from a woman who would describe events that had happened to her as a child. ‘It is that immature child and her thoughts and behavior you will need to consider,’ he said.

At an earlier trial Donnelly was found guilty of rape and indecent assault of another, then teenage girl. When interviewed by police he said he knew one day they would question him over it.

Donnelly’s crimes are not connected to the Haut de la Garenne investigation, but the larger child abuse investigation in Jersey.

Donnelly will be formally sentenced on August 21.

Two days ago 46-year-old Michael Aubin, who has been in custody since May of 2008 for abusing 2 young boys at Haut de la Garenne in the late1970s, was spared additional jail time and placed on two years probation.

Aubin himself claims to have been sexually abused at the children’s home by a staff member known as the “bogeyman.”

In issuing the sentence of probation, Commissioner Clyde-Smith said there was an element of "cruelty" in the circumstances of the case.

"The defendant was taken in to care at three years old. The state was in loco parentis," he said.

"He became what he became while in the care of the state and now the state comes after him to prosecute him for what he did when he was in its care when he was 14 - a disturbed and brutalised 14-year-old."

Which leads me to ask who is the “bogeyman”, why are we not hearing anything regarding an investigation into his identity and does this not call into question the police and government calling the Haut de la Garenne investigation an expensive investigation that proved nothing? Ya can’t have it both ways!

Since the abuse scandal investigation began - 40 suspects have been named by police - of that number, one suspect’s file was returned to police for further investigation, a few were dropped for what the Attorney General calls a lack of evidence and the rest are apparently in political/judicial limbo.

Call me cynical, but my gut feeling is the powers that be in Jersey have offered up Donnelly and Aubin as the sacrificial scapegoats in hopes this all just goes away – the Jersey way.

The perpetrators of abuse and those responsible for the cover-up that held and/or continue to hold high positions within the government and society may sleep easy for a time, but there are more than a few determined individuals that will not let this sleeping dog lie.

BBC
JEP - Knew Police Would Question Me
JEP
The Independent

Haut de la Garenne Abuse Victims Abused Again By Jersey Attorney General

Saddened, but not at all surprised, two of the cases in the historic abuse scandal have been dropped by William Bailhache, stating he had not found sufficient grounds to prosecute either case.

Nine victims gave evidence about the Haut de la Garenne case but Bailhache questioned the credibility of some of it.

He also said the complaints did not support each other enough.

Charges against the Jane and Alan McGuire, who were house parents at a St. Clements home were dropped by the island's Attorney General in 1998 and Bailhache said he had not found sufficient evidence for overturning his predecessor's decision.

This is just wrong on so many levels.

The press had Bailhache’s statement during the afternoon, but it was embargoed until midnight.

Senator Syvret was informed of the cases being dropped and began calling the victims to see how they were and offering his support.

The survivors didn’t know.

They – the most important people involved in this situation - hadn’t been told of the decision.

Jersey oligarchy media had been informed of the story, and are waiting for this afternoon’s embargoed press release – before the survivors were informed that the two maniacs and thugs who abused them will not face justice.

This is abuse – all over again.

The survivors – having been informed by me, contacted the police – who reluctantly admitted that, yes, the McGuires would not face justice, and that their plan had been to call the survivors and inform them this evening.

Yet the cops – under the “New Management” of David Warcup & co – were far more interested in how the survivors found out about the spin-doctoring of the decision.

I am so thoroughly disgusted with the government of Jersey and being a Christian, cannot write what I am thinking their punishment should be.

My heart and prayers go out to the victims, Senator Syvret, Lenny Harper and all the others who tried for justice and closure in this horrific, disgraceful story.

Statement by the Attorney General (Probably not a good idea to read if you have high blood pressure.)
BBC
Senator Stuart Syvret Blog

Huckaby Doesn’t Enter a Plea and Faces New Charges

Melissa Huckaby appeared in court yesterday, but did not enter a plea in the kidnap, rape and killing of 8-year-old Sandra Cantu.

Prosecutors filed an amended complaint against Huckaby on Thursday that added one count of child endangerment and two counts of furnishing someone a harmful substance.

Two of the added charges stem from the January17 incident involving a 7-year-old girl who lived in the Orchard Estates Mobile Home Park. The girl's mother told police Huckaby took her 7-year-old child without her or her family's permission.

Observing her daughter acting strangely, Lora Polk took her to the hospital where she was tested and found to have muscle relaxants in her system.

Huckaby is also accused of giving an unspecified drug to Daniel Plowman, 36, of Hayward.

Plowman was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance after crashing his car into a wall at McDonald’s. He was never charged with a crime.

The complaint against Huckaby, in both cases, alleges she "willfully and unlawfully mingled a harmful substance with food or drink" with the intent it be taken by a human.

Huckaby is next scheduled to appear in court on June 12. Deputy Public Defender Sam Behar requested the postponement due to the amended complaint and the estimated 1,000 pages of evidence he needs to review.

Prosecutors have not decided whether to pursue the death penalty.

Mercury News
CNN
Tracy Press
ABC News

The Battle Over Melissa Huckaby’s Daughter

As Melissa Huckaby awaits arraignment on charges she kidnapped, raped, and killed 8-year-old Sandra Cantu in March, her ex-husband and mother are engaged in a bitter custody battle over 5-year-old Madison Huckaby.

At the time of Huckaby’s arrest on April 10, Madison was living with her mother and great-grandparents, Lane and Connie Lawless. Madison is currently living with Judy and Brian Lawless, Melissa’s parents, in Cypress, California.

Less than a week after Huckaby’s arrest, her ex-husband, Johnny Huckaby requested custody of their 5-year-old daughter.

Court Commissioner Walter Posey granted Huckaby custody of his daughter on April 20, but reversed that decision after Judy Lawless pleaded with the court to let her keep the child saying Madison has lived with her most of her life and has had little contact with her father.

According to court documents, Judy Lawless said to avoid media attention she took Madison and, until April 20, was staying with a relative in Oregon.

Johnny Huckaby claims that when he arrived in Oregon to retrieve Madison, she and Judy Lawless were already gone and he accuses Lawless of lying to him about Madison's whereabouts.

A custody hearing is scheduled for July 6.

Melissa Huckaby is scheduled to appear again in San Joaquin County Superior Court on Friday.

I feel so badly for this little girl and what her future holds.

recordnet

Jersey Establishment Went Too Far? British Support For Senator Stuart Syvret

An ‘Early Day Motion’ has been tabled in the British House of Commons defending Stuart Syvret and condemning the Jersey government and the recent illegal arrest and detention of Syvret.

Early Day Motions (EMDs) usually aren’t up for 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.

The initial supporters are Peter Bottomley - Conservative, Austin Mitchell - Labour, and John Hemming- Lib/Dem - representing each of the main British political parties.

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

Reproduced from Senator Stuart Syvret Blog:

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

I applaud the tabling of the EDM.

The British are recognizing the egregious actions against Stuart and the unlawful actions of the Jersey government.

OK, Jack Straw, the ball is back in your court. Will you have the fortitude and backbone to address the justice system - or lack there of - in Jersey?

We’re watching!

Haut de la Garenne - Michael Aubin Pleads Guilty!!!

Michael Aubin admitted to two counts of gross indecency and two counts of indecent assault on children under ten years old.

Aubin, who appeared before the Royal Court, carried out the sexual abuse on boys while he was a resident at the home in the 1970s.

Aubin is the first person to be brought to court after a police investigation into historic child abuse on the island.

He previously pleaded not guilty to three additional counts of indecent assault. Those counts will be dealt with after Aubin is sentenced on June 22.

Two other people have been charged in connection with the Haut de la Garenne abuse scandal and police have amassed a list of 40 additional suspects.

Finally some justice in Jersey! Personally I am stunned, but extremely pleased with this victory!

This is a great day for the abuse victims, Senator Syvret, Lenny Harper, Graham Power and Simon Bellwood. Well done, you all have been vindicated!

Telegraph
Daily Echo
The Sun
ITN

Gag Order Issued in Sandra Cantu Case

UPDATE

~Melissa Huckaby


Having replaced Judge Terrence Van Oss, Judge Linda Loftus’s first order of business was to issue a gag order in the Sandra Cantu murder case that bars anyone involved with the case from speaking to the media.

The order prohibits all parties from releasing "information or opinions concerning this case or any issue likely involved."

Huckaby's attorney requested the gag order due to the high profile nature of the murder case, which has been covered extensively by the media.

Yesterday Huckaby's lawyer, Deputy Public Defender Samuel Behar, said he is dropping his request to exhume Sandra Cantu's body because the medical examiner has preserved enough tissue samples the defense can test.

Huckaby, who has not entered a plea, is scheduled to appear before Lofthus on Friday.

Fox40
KTVU

Update!
It appears the FBI is looking into Pastor Lane Lawless, Huckaby's grandfather's connection to abuse allegations at a church in Clarkston, Washington.

Sandra Cantu Not The Only Victim of Melissa Huckaby

10 weeks prior to the disappearance and murder of 8-year-old Sandra Cantu, another 7-year-old girl was reported missing from the Orchard Estates Mobile Home Park.

On January 17th, the girl was reported missing by her family. According to the family, the girl had spent the afternoon with Melissa Huckaby without their permission.

The girl was returned to her home by a woman driving a purple Kia Sportage. Police towed a purple Kia Sportage registered to Melissa Huckaby shortly after she was arrested in Sandra's killing.

When the little girl returned home, the family reported her speech was slurred; she was falling down, sleeping, and crying a lot.

The family took the child to Sutter Tracy Memorial Hospital, where she was examined. The girl tested positive for benzodiazepine, a class of tranquilizer and muscle relaxant. The examination found no sign of molestation.

Police have tied the reported abduction to the murder case of Sandra Cantu, but Tracy police Sgt. Tony Sheneman said he can’t comment on the reported abduction in January because it’s part of the ongoing murder investigation.

Judge in Huckaby Cases Recuses Himself

According to the San Joaquin County Superior Court, “The Honorable Terrence Van Oss has recused himself.”

No explanation has been given, however it may be due to a conflict between the judge and Huckaby’s prosecutor.

Superior Court Judge Linda Lofthus will now take up the case. Lofthus will preside over the next hearing which will be held on Friday.

Video report on abduction
Tracy Press
Sacramento Bee
Stockton Record
Sandra Cantu Memorial Service

Haut de la Garenne Suspect To Be Charged With Eight Additional Counts

Gordon Wateridge, who was a house parent at Haut de la Garenne during the 1970’s, was to go on trial today for eleven counts of indecent assault.

Now he faces an additional eight charges after a sixth victim has come forward!

Wateridge, who remains free on bail, denies all the charges and his trial was adjourned to August so the new charges can be included.

Hmmmmm, wonder how long Bailhache has been sitting on this information. Isn’t it odd this suddenly came to light on the heels of the Senator Perchard disaster, the arrest of Senator Stuart Syvret, the positively ignorant declaration by Senator Ben Shenton that he was refusing to attend the emergency meeting of the assembly next Tuesday and the damning comments made Lenny Harper on Saturday?

Seems like a ploy by the government to deflect the public’s ourage and anger, no?

Guardian

Worthing Herald

Lenny Harper on Jersey Corruption And Why Abuse Victims Cannot Get Justice

~Lenny Harper




In his most candid interview to date, retired police chief superintendent, Lenny Harper – a 35-year veteran police officer - discusses Haut de la Garenne and the corruption he encountered well before the child abuse investigation.

Harper was recruited in 2002, to Jersey by then head of States of Jersey Police, Graham Power.

'Within weeks I realized that local politicians expected a degree of control over day-to-day operations that no UK police force would tolerate.'

Jersey operates with a system of Honorary Police. These are elected citizens - farmers, truck drivers, businessmen, etc - from the island’s 12 parishes that have the ability to countermand the Jersey Police. Incredibly, the head honorary constable is automatically seated in the States Assembly.

The ‘paid’ police force have to consult with these lay people and advise them of any and all evidence in a case – get this one – because only the Honorary Police can charge suspects!

Government and police make for strange bedfellows!

'Several times early in my posting I had to protest to the Attorney General's legal advisers about a refusal to charge in cases where the evidence was overwhelming.'

Harper's authority was challenged when he tried to tackle the massive arsenals of firearms on the island. Approximately 10,000 licensed weapons and numerous, unlicensed weapons – including semi automatic rifles – were held by a population of 90,000 people!

Were they going to war with somebody?

Harper's attempts to take action were repeatedly blocked by politicians.

'Strenuous attempts were made to intimidate us into not taking action with allegations that we were Brits who did not understand the Jersey way of life.'

Harper quickly discovered that many of the firearms licenses were issued to applicants with known criminal convictions.

Having received a tip, Harper raided the home of civilian police officer to discover a huge number of firearms lying unsecured in a bedroom. The cache included an RPG7 rocket launcher as well as weapons that had been handed into the police previously for destruction. There were 7.62mm rifles, machine guns, Magnum revolvers, and a large quantity of ammunition. Also confiscated was a Sea Cat missile launcher - usually carried on warships!

The employee was eventually convicted on several charges, however he was not sacked and the police force took him back.

Harper began a licensing campaign after discovering hundreds of people never renewed their firearms licenses and began arresting people including police officers, politicians, lawyers, and others. Most were given a slap on the wrist and a small fine.

In one case an application for a firearms license had been issued to a person despite the fact the person was convicted in 1992 of possessing a prohibited weapon and supplying controlled drugs. When police raided his house, they recovered 18 weapons and 183,000 rounds of ammunition. That is enough ammunition to shoot Jersey's entire population. Twice!

Harper also discovered three employees were using police money to buy computers for private use. Pornography was stored on some of them. The Attorney General refused to take legal action and politicians defended the employees.

Additionally, Harper found three detectives were discovered selling intelligence to women linked to drug dealers in return for sex. Despite film and audio evidence, no prosecution was authorized.

'The vast majority of cops on Jersey are honest and we owed it to them to bring to book the guys bringing them into disrepute.' Harper says. 'But the response of the authorities was to suppress everything.'

Harper spent his last year in Jersey on the excavation of Haut de la Garenne. Over one hundred witnesses have come forward with horrific tales of abuse and children just disappearing.

When Harper retired last August, a new team of detectives took over the investigation and quickly denounced Harper as an over-excitable and inexperienced officer and questioned Harper’s concerns, skills, and findings. They also claimed the 65 children's teeth found the home's cellars were left for the tooth fairy! Police now say there were no murders.

Three men - two of them former care workers - charged with abuse have yet been tried, over a year later! Jersey authorities have portrayed the alleged victims as compensation-hungry criminals.

'I'm used to flak,' Harper says. 'I don't care what a few establishment cover-up merchants and their pet poodles say about me. But I do care about the victims on Jersey. I'll keep speaking up for their sake.'

'We worked very hard to win the victims' confidence. I think now they will feel that there is nothing that they can do.’

The Haut de la Garenne investigation has ground to a halt. In it’s wake, a smear campaign began alleging that Harper himself was corrupt.

'Jersey is claiming that I left with loads of documents, unused material that could be needed in court. I think they're saying that so that cases can be thrown out. I have offered to go to any court in the UK and answer questions about alleged unused material.'

Head of States of Jersey Police, Graham Power, has subsequently been illegally suspended and accused of botching and illegal spending on the Haut de la Garenne investigation.

Two weeks ago, Senator Stuart Syvret, Jersey's former health minister who first raised the issue of abuse, was illegally detained and his home searched without a warrant under data protection laws. He was accused of leaking material to the media.

Syvret has been very vocal in exposing much of the government corruption for over a year, going so far as to appear at London’s High Court with British MP John Hemming to ensure that trials for the alleged child abusers be heard in Britain – a measure that Harper fully supported.

Harper ended his affidavit to the High Court by saying: 'With such an absence of controls, such an absence of accountability, the ordinary, decent citizens of Jersey are helpless. Intentionally or not, the system has allowed corruption to flourish to such an extent that those seeking to combat it are the ones open to scorn.'

'How come all these bent cops were able to complain about us, and their complaints were investigated at huge cost, but our investigations were closed down? I've often wondered what it was that we were really threatening.'

I think Denmark is ok, but something is certainly rotten in the States of Jersey!

Dailymail.com

Dishing Up The Goods On Jersey or, Time To Take The Trash Out

As we all know, some members of the States of Jersey and the police force are doing their damnedest to destroy the reputations of Lenny Harper and Graham Power, as well as making a mockery out of the investigation into child abuse. In order to do so, they set about ‘investigating’ the investigation utilizing several UK police forces.

The irrepressible Senator Syvret recently asked the Home Affairs Minister just how much this ‘investigating’ the investigation was costing the decent folks in Jersey. Well, to trash Lenny, Graham and the child abuse investigation, a whopping £310,000!

All of this thrashing and trashing has a much more serious consequence. Warcup and Gradwell during the infamous presser in November - tearing the investigation to shreds - have basically handed defense attorneys for those who could and should be brought to trial, an out. “The case is moot. Your top cops have said so.”

Do not forget, Warcup admitted to the press he had "ripped up evidence" from the investigation! In my opinion that smacks of being illegal, yet he still has a job!

And, what about Graham Power?

Remember, the same day of Warcup and Gradwell’s presser, Bill Ogley and Andrew Lewis set-about getting rid of Power. Power was summarily told he had an hour to decided whether to retire or be suspended immediately. Graham didn’t need an hour to think about it – his immediate answer was no and stated he would contest the actions against him.

In the assembly, Simon Crowcroft proposed the States review the suspension and disciplinary procedures used against Mr. Power. Specifically to determine whether they were correctly and lawfully undertaken. This came about after Graham issued a 12/1/08 statement to all States members. The document lays out how his suspension was illegal and an abuse of power.

The full document can be read on Senator Syvret’s blog. It’s a doozy and well worth the read!

So, the States took up this discussion yesterday and here are a few jaw-droppers!

During the Power, Ogley, Lewis meeting, Ogley took volumes of written notes. Those notes are deemed to have been heavily sanitized before being distributed as ‘minutes’ of the meeting. Power requested copies of all notes taken by Ogley as evidence of what occurred during that meeting.

Ogley destroyed them! Yup, illegally destroyed the minutes - illegally destroyed evidence! The current Home Affairs Minister even admitted he was ‘horrified’ when he learned Ogley destroyed evidence.

Well, the long-and-short of the Assembly debate to review Power’s suspension was apparently too much for the States – the proposition was thrown out!

Seems to me, Power was not the appropriate person to have been suspended – a couple of other names come to my mind!

‘White House Boys’ Call For Others to Come Forward

Alleged abuse at the Florida Industrial School for boys during the 1950s and 1960s is currently under investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice acknowledged the abuse by placing a plaque in front of the White House this past October. The school in Marianna, Florida is now known as the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys.

Robert Straley and Michael O’McCarthy, two of the men who were abused at the reform school and formed the group the White House Boys, gave depositions to FDLE and are urging others to come forward and tell their stories.

FDLE is investigating the claims of abuse and the unidentified graves located where the segregated, black side of the school once was.

In 2006, Straley saw video of what some believe led to the death of 14-year-old Martin Lee Anderson at the Bay County Boot Camp. It was that video that caused Straley to remember the night he was escorted to what former child prisoners call the “rape room”. It is believed the underground room is still located underneath the Dozier administration building.

Straley realized that many others were suffering from the same hellish memories and decided to go public in an effort to help them. When he contacted journalist O’McCarthy about the story, he had no idea that O’McCarthy had also been abused at the school.

According to Straley and O’McCarthy, some 300 to 400 people have come forward, all with claims of having been abused at the school.

They say they have also received calls from a few long-time residents who say the search for bodies isn’t off the mark, but they are looking in the wrong place.

The anonymous callers claim some boys were tilled straight into the soil of local rural fields. Kids from the school were often used as child labor in the local farm community.

Straley is careful to say not every adult at the school was abusive; it was just a handful of men, “the night watchers,” who terrorized the young men.

If you have information on what possibly occurred at the Florida School for Boys contact:

Robert Straley or Michael O’McCarthy, at thewhitehouseboys@gmail.com

Or

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, (850) 410-7000

Statements from The White House Boys – 11/1/08
(WARNING: Disturbing content)

jcfloridian.com