Jersey care system child abuse inquiry

 Jimmy Savile at Haut de la Garenne

An inquiry looking into historical child abuse allegations in Jersey's care system has started.

The year-long £6m inquiry will probe reports of abuse in the island's children's homes and fostering services from 1960 to the present day.

The panel is still appealing for witnesses to come forward.

During her opening statement, inquiry chairwoman Francis Oldham QC stressed it would be independent of the States and police.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-28408981

Despite the assurances, there are serious doubts by victims of child abuse and witnesses that the Jersey inquiry will be independent and there has been a push to include Jersey in the UK Child Sexual Abuse Inquiry. Liberal Democrat MP John Hemming has tabled an "Early Day Motion" and a petition has been set up by a petitioner from Andover in the UK. It is well known that children from care homes in the UK were transported around the country and some of them disappeared in the Jersey care system:

At least five children were illegally placed in care on Jersey by Birmingham social services, which then lost track of them. ..

Birmingham council only discovered it had placed five children in foster care on Jersey because, at Mr Hemming's request, it checked old accounts. It found it made payments to Jersey for child care between 1960 and 1990. Yet a social work file survived on only one child.

 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1041035/Birmingham-council-illegally-sent-children-care-Jersey-MP-report-reveals.html

Stuart Syvret, ex Minister of Health and Social Services, who was imprisoned for speaking out about the cover ups in Jersey, writes about it in his blog. It is unlikely that these matters will be covered by the BBC who were heavily criticised for their biased reporting at the time of the corrupted police investigation.

http://freespeechoffshore.nl/stuartsyvretblog/jersey-and-its-child-protection-failures/