ATTORNEY General William Bailhache has denied trying to drop the prosecution against the paedophile who was jailed for two years yesterday for indecent assaults committed while he worked at Haut de la Garenne.Hours after Gordon Wateridge was jailed by the Royal Court for indecent assaults on three teenage girls and assaulting one teenage boy, Solicitor General Tim Le Cocq told the States that there had been no attempt to block the charges by the Attorney General.
He said that Mr Bailhache had asked him to say ‘that he certainly did not seek to prevent charges being brought against Wateridge’.
‘Indeed, he was informed of the fact that charges had been brought while he was away from the Island on leave, and he has asked me to confirm that he played no part in the charging decision itself.’
The question was raised during the States by Deputy Trevor Pitman, after a message was posted on an internet blog site by the former head of the historical abuse inquiry, Lenny Harper, claiming that instructions were sent by Mr Bailhache not to charge Wateridge.
Article posted on 22nd September, 2009 - 2.59pm
AG denies trying to stop prosecution