Apology for abuse victims

Jersey's Chief Minister has apologised to all victims of child abuse in the island.

Senator Terry Le Sueur gave a statement saying he was sorry for the way the children were treated during their time at former children's home Haut de la Garenne and in States care.

He said: "On behalf of the island's government I acknowledge that the care system that operated historically in Jersey, failed some children in states residential care in a serious way. Such abuse has now been confirmed by the criminal cases that have been before Jersey's courts. So to all those who suffered abuse, whether confirmed by criminal conviction or not, the island's government offers its unreserved apology."

The abuse was brought to light in 2008 when police started Operation Rectangle looking at systematic abuse of children, mainly in the 70s and 80s.

Seven people have been found guilty of abuse during the operation although not all at Haut de la Garenne.

The first person charged in January 2008 was Gordon Claude Wateridge, he was a house parent at Haut de la Garenne. In August 2009 he was found guilty of three historic indecent assaults on female children under 16 committed between 1969 and 1979.

Claude James Donnelly was charged in April 2008 and faced two separate Royal Court trials. He was convicted in June 2009 for one count of rape, one count of indecent assault and one count of procuring an act of gross indecency.

Michael Aubin was charged in May 2008, he was a resident at Haut de la Garenne He pleaded guilty in the Royal Court in May 2009 of abusing other children. The charges - all of which are between 1977 and 1980, relating to three separate children, were: one count of sodomy against a male child and two counts of indecent assault against two other male children.

In July 2009 Ronald George Thorne was charged with gross indecency with a boy between 1983 and 1984, on four separate occasions.

His son Julian Thorne was found not guilty of abusing the same boy after a Royal Court trial in July this year.

Leonard Miles Vandenborn was sentenced to 12 years in prison for sexually assaulting 2 girls aged 8 and 14 over a 12 year period in the 1970s and 1980s. He was found guilty of rape, and 12 counts of indecent assault.

The final case before the Royal Court was of Morag and Tony Jordan, who were house parents at Haut de la Garenne. They were found guilty of physically assaulting children in their care.

Apology for abuse victims