Jersey ex-police chief slams system

1:29am Friday 22nd August 2008

The former head of the Jersey child abuse investigation has slammed the island's legal system, claiming they delayed prosecutions and were held in "contempt" by victims.

Lenny Harper retired from his role as deputy chief officer of the States of Jersey Police this month after two years leading one of Britain's biggest child abuse inquiries.

The case centred on the former children's home Haut de la Garenne, where more than 100 people claim they were abused and the remains of five children were found.

Mr Harper, who has retired to Ayrshire, Scotland, told BBC News that victims would give statements and his team would put together a file, but then they would run into "inexplicable delays".

He said they felt like "the goalposts were being moved" and the decision-making process for the Jersey legal system appeared to be "whenever, wherever".

He said: "The legal system has to accept the reality of the situation. They are not trusted at all by the victims.

"They are held in contempt by the vast majority of the victims."

Mr Harper said a dedicated lawyer they were promised "just wasn't there" and for long periods they had no legal assistance.

More than 100 former residents at Haut de la Garenne, which closed in 1986, have alleged that they were physically and sexually abused. Forensic teams uncovered secret underground chambers and the partial remains of five children.

So far three people have been charged and are awaiting trial on the island, but Mr Harper believes that had they not run into so many delays more people could be going through the courts.

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