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

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

Florida’s Own Haut de la Garenne?

Florida law enforcement has begun an investigation into who lies beneath the 32 white crosses at a cemetery near the grounds of the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys.

The crosses bear no names or dates and the Department of Juvenile Justice has no records that explain who's buried in the cemetery near the 108-year-old reform school.

Governor Charlie Crist has ordered the investigation to find out what is in the graves, identify any remains, and determine whether any crimes occurred.

Young boys who committed crimes were sent to the school and were routinely beaten and abused in the 1950s and '60s at the school.

A group of men who call themselves, The White House Boys, were abused at the school in a building called the “White House”. They called for State and Federal authorities to investigate the graves. The men believe the graves contain the bodies of boys killed at the reform school.

One of those men, Dick Conlon, remembers walking into the school laundry and seeing a young boy tumbling inside a dryer. Afraid for his own safety, Conlon walked away. He says he feels guilty for not helping the boy and recalls that particular boy was never seen again.

The “White House” contained two rooms – one for white inmates and one for blacks – where guards would repeatedly strike children with a long leather-and-metal strap so severely that underwear became imbedded in skin. The vicious beatings occurred for the slightest infractions.

In a rather unusual move, the Department of Juvenile Justice acknowledged the abuse at the school by placing a plaque at the “White House” building.

A former resident of the school, Michael O'McCarthy, said, "Rarely do state or federal governments like to admit that they have committed this type of egregious, destructive kinds of crimes, especially to children."

Governor Crist said, "Justice always cries out for a conclusion and this is no different. If there's an opportunity to find out exactly what happened there, to be able to verify if there were these kinds of horrible atrocities ... we have a duty to do so."

Bryant Middleton, a former inmate was told by a CNN producer that the governor ordered the probe.

"My god! That's remarkable. My god! That's all I ever wanted," he said. "That will begin a lot of the healing for those that survived that school."

"Some of us will never get over the brutality, the sexual assaults and the fear. But this is a major step in the right direction," he said.

Perhaps the States of Jersey can take a lesson from Governor Crist – stop ignoring the likes of Senator Syvret, Lenny Harper, Simon Bellwood and most importantly, the victims of the Jersey abuse scandal!

CNN

Fox News

Special thanks to T&T reader, JG for the tip!

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