Paedophilia, Prevention rather than "Cure" (a discussion)

Paedophilia, Prevention rather than “Cure” is the title of this discussion recorded on the second anniversary of the publication of the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry.

It was also the date of the launching of the second Jersey Redress Scheme for people who as children were abused or suffered harm between 1945 and the end of 2005 in places such as Les Chenes secure residential unit.

 Appearing in this video are;

Jill Garcia – the former Secretary of the Jersey Care Leavers Association

Alan Collins – a UK lawyer who represents many of those who have been abused

Neil McMurray – A long-time anti-child abuse campaigner

Mike Dun – is the interviewing voice behind the camera who blogs as “Tom Gruchy”

 This is not an easy subject to discuss and we approached it with considerable trepidation.

But, we think that it is part of a wider discussion that should take place because the abuse of children is clearly a subject that is not going away without some very positive action.

Child abuse is not a simple subject and does not always include sexual abuse.

Sex abuse of children and paedophile are just aspects of a complex web of interlinked problems that can include such as violence, neglect, poverty, mental illness, marriage breakdown and failures of child care services.

 La Moye Prison (Jersey) currently detains about 136 prisoners.  About 28 are kept in the “J” separation wing where “sex offenders” are held.

There are (according to an FOI answer in 2018) 83 persons on the “Sex Offenders Register” and 18 of these have left the Island.

 It seems that capturing and detaining “sex-offenders” in prison for long periods is an admission of failure.

It means that a child – in some cases many children – have already experienced abuse before the perpetrator is removed from society.

Obviously the aim should be to prevent the abuse happening at all.

 Potential abusers need to be identified and - if possible - “treated” before they offend.

We do not know how this can be done but recognize that capturing and convicting potential abusers before they commit sexual offences is effective, especially in a small community such as Jersey.

Similarly, we do not know what punishment or treatment can be effective or acceptable to prevent convicted offenders committing further acts of abuse if released from prison or other forms of detention.

 We discuss these matters in the video.

There are many other matters that could be discussed and we would hope that further informed examination of the issues will take place.

We invite others with an interest in this whole subject to make contact and we especially want to record further video discussions to broaden knowledge and understanding.

 

We want a serious and productive dialogue and will not publish recordings which are likely to be inflammatory or offensive.

Contributions from those who do not want to be identified in the video recordings will be considered and all communications will be treated as confidential.

 

4 July 2019

Child care in Jersey - So you think its all over?

The Independent Jersey Care Inquiry has now ended its consultation and public participation stage.
The Panel of three led by Frances Oldham QC has gone away to spend the rest of the summer and autumn writing their report and we await the outcome with nervous anticipation.....

But if Alan Collins is correct about the lack of a legal basis for most of the "detention" of children in Jersey care homes and other institutions over the decades then Jersey could be facing law suits and compensation claims that will make the Inquiry costs look very small.

The interview below discusses his final submission to the Inquiry on behalf of the Jersey Care Leavers Association and he certainly spelled it out  to the Inquiry Panel.

But, is it really possible that virtually every child sent into Jersey care, or detention since 1945 (ie within the TOR of the Inquiry) has been detained "illegally"?

Is it possible that the entire legal profession of Jersey from the Crown Officers and the Courts to every solicitor and advocate, the Police, so called trained social workers et al have failed to notice the lack of rules of procedure or the rights of appeal?

Alan Collins cited some extreme examples such as a child remanded for 1,272 days and there are many hundreds of such examples to test before a court.
Assuming of course that, like child abuse itself, such cases are not time-barred and that there is a tribunal empowered to consider them.

The questions posed by Alan Collins should be attracting the urgent attention of the Jersey government now and the public needs to be advised of the official response ASAP. This cannot be allowed to remain "in the air" until the Inquiry Panel forms its own view.