Sunday 13 February 2011

Can Social Networking help the people of Jersey?

Do you remember the days when you would go on holiday and whatever country you were in the locals would ask where you come from? And you would say “Jersey”. Then they would say “oh Bergerac” or “you must be a millionaire” or “I’ve been there and it’s a beautiful island, you must feel so lucky to live there.”

Well thanks to our Council of Ministers, Law Office(r)s and Judicial system those days are gone. If you are now brave enough to admit that you are from Jersey, as has happened to friends of mine, you run the risk of being beaten up. Bergerac, millionaire and beautiful island have all been replaced with “kiddie fiddler,” “paedo’s paradise”, “island of secrets,” “cover-up merchants,” “paedophiles” and far worse.

These accusations have further been strengthened by our Council of Minister’s decision to go back on a promise made to the people of Jersey, the Abuse Survivors and indeed the watching world, to have a full, public and "independent" enquiry into the Haute de la Garrenne and other “care” homes scandal.

Because the Council of Ministers decided this and brought it to the House as a Report and not a Proposition then that meant that this could not be democratically debated. Ten minutes of questions is all that is allowed. That is not democracy, that is a dictatorship, the COM make a decision that impacts on the island as a whole, a decision that we are all going to be judged on and it doesn’t even get debated in the States.

Thankfully our newest Senator has seen the damage this decision will cause (has caused) the victims and survivors of the atrocities that have been allowed to thrive for decades in State run “care” homes. The damage it will cause to the reputation of Jersey as an open and democratic 21st century society.

Senator Francis Le Gresley has lodged a “proposition” (P19/2011) asking the Council of Ministers to reconsider their (in my opinion) very ill-thought out dictatorial decision that can, and more than likely will, cause more damage to all involved than a Committee of Inquiry ever could.

Further to Senator Le Gresley’s Proposition, Deputy Bob Hill, it is reported, has lodged an amendment further in support for a Committee of Inquiry. Deputy Hill’s amendment is rumoured to be extremely well researched, very detailed and a conclusive argument as to why there is no choice other than the Committee of Inquiry to go ahead.

During these past three years or so many people have been accused, and have had the finger pointed at them, for either abusing children or covering up for those who have. Not only do the Abuse Survivors, the people of Jersey and the world deserve the TRUTH to be told, but so do those who have been accused, either rightly or wrongly. This Committee of Inquiry should give them/us that TRUTH, and possible closure for some.

If you are not a paedophile or some-one who is protecting one, if you are a person who wants to be able to put this very dark and sordid part of Jersey’s history to bed, if you are a person who believes this can only happen with a full “independent” Inquiry. If you are a person who resents being called a paedo or a paedo protector because of the actions of a few members of our government and Law Office(r)s. If you are a person who believes the survivors and victims of Child Abuse deserve the public Inquiry that was promised to them. If you are a person who believes the reputation of Jersey needs to be restored. If you are a person who believes, those wrongly accused deserve to have their names cleared. If you are a person who believes that those who have escaped justice should be brought to account. If you are a person who is sick of this “alleged” cover-up and secrecy then please speak out.

There are a number of ways you can do this without moving from your computer. You can e-mail/phone your Deputy or Constable and ask them to support Senator Le Gresley and Deputy Hill with their proposition for this Committee of Inquiry. Likewise you can e-mail or phone any Senator and not least any of the Council of Ministers who are the ones who are showing Jersey in a bad light and abusing the victims/survivors all over again by going back on another promise. You can also contact Deputy Hill and Senator Le Gresley to give them your support.

What I would really like to see is social networking and citizens media putting pressure on our government and Law Office(r)s (because their “accredited" media won’t) that has just been witnessed by the toppling of the Egyptian government. We must show some kind of unity and strength in numbers.

With that in mind, could I ask my readers with a Facebook account, who are in agreement, to go to this LINK and all you have to do, when there, is press “like.”

We must show the world that we are not happy with being tarred with the same brush as our dictatorship, they are not representative of the "good" people of Jersey. For those of my readers that are not from Jersey and are in agreement with all that has been said, then please show us your support by going to the LINK and pressing “like.” Please put the link as your status on Facebook and encourage your friends to do the same. Paedophilia and the cover up of it is a worldwide problem, not just Jersey’s..........We NEED support, our government and judicial system have been allowed to spiral out of control (with the help of the "accredited" media) and all we have left is social networking.

Submitted by VFC.

13 comments:

  1. Yes it can help but I'm not going to click that I Like the 'States of Jersey go back on Haut de la Garenne promise'

    You need to think this through more carefully and try again Team Voice

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you for your comment which has been noted. If you go onto the group page, you will see that it is supportive of a Comittee of Inquiry.

    We all have reasons NOT to do something but if we could look for a reason to DO something then that would be alot more helpful.

    ReplyDelete
  3. That first comment was just, SO JERSEY!!!

    See what we're up against?

    ReplyDelete
  4. "You need to think this through more carefully and try again Team Voice."

    hahaha, it's not VFC's group!

    VFC is just helping the child of a survivour to get some justice for her mother by advertising the group!!!

    No wonder the German's thought that they couldn't lose the 2nd World war after sampling the "alleged" English intellect here in Jersey?

    ReplyDelete
  5. I was just trying to be helpful, I said yes I think social networking can help. However, I think that if you want people to click 'Like' then it should be a statement they agree with and can identify with.

    I've been following We are all Khaled Said since the start of the Egyptian revolution.

    I've also been following, and supporting, VoiceForChildren and Stuart's blog from the beginning

    If all that results from a little constructive criticism is abuse then good luck to you.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your comments, as I said were noted, and appreciated. I have managed to make contact with one of the administrators of the group who will be making it more obvious as to what the group stands for.

    So your constructive criticism was indeed constructive and is being acted upon.

    ReplyDelete
  7. "If all that results from a little constructive criticism is abuse then good luck to you."

    Why on earth criticise "BEFORE" you have even looked at the group?

    Firstly, check out the group, its description and relevance, then if need be, constructively criticise!!!

    Not hard is it?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yes it can help but I'm not going to click that I Like the 'States of Jersey go back on Haut de la Garenne promise'

    You need to think this through more carefully and try again Team Voice

    But you did join the group thou?

    rs

    ReplyDelete
  9. We are admin from the facebook group 'States of Jersey go back on Haut de la Garenne promise'

    Sorry if we confused anyone. We are new to this networking and
    whole facebook business.

    Our aim is very simple, to support the victims who were relying on the promised inquiry. We thought this the only way to reach many people as quickly as possible. We want people to e mail states members asking for the promised inquiry to go ahead.

    All we want is the truth, as promised by our previous chief minister.

    This inquiry MUST go ahead.
    Please join our group to show your support for the victims of our system and to support the proposition that the States will at least agree to discuss this issue openly.

    Everyone is sick of these decisions being made behind closed doors.

    We find it too easy to get lost in the politics of the system.

    Bottom line is ... give the public the inquiry as was promised.

    ReplyDelete
  10. States sitting on Tuesday:

    Written questions 9 & 10, also Oral questions 8 & 9, but also Senator Le Gresley's CoE Proposition and also Deputy Hill's amendment.

    Could be worth recording, TJW.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Yes I’m sure TJW will be recording the States sitting and will publish extracts of interest. I believe Senator Le Gresley’s proposition and Deputy Hill’s amendment are due to be debated on the 1st of March. I will be publishing who voted how on here.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Presented to the States on 14th February 2011
    by the Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel

    COMMENTS

    The Panel firmly supports Senator F. du H. Le Gresley’s request to the Council of
    Ministers to reconsider their decision not to hold a Committee of Enquiry to
    investigate any unresolved issues in relation to child abuse in the Island.
    The Panel strongly believes that the States Assembly should be given the opportunity
    to debate the requirement for an independent public enquiry and therefore regards the
    Council’s unilateral decision, as reported in R.8/2011, as unsatisfactory.

    This report was received by members on their desks in the States Assembly on 1st
    February 2011 without prior notice, giving members only a limited opportunity to
    respond to the statement issued by the Chief Minister at the same meeting.
    The Panel believes that there are a number of fundamental questions which ought to
    be addressed about the past management of children’s homes, the monitoring of staff
    and procedures for dealing with any reports of abusive behaviour. Those personally
    affected by the events in the past should have the opportunity to have their stories
    heard.

    The Panel notes that the previous Council of Ministers outlined these questions in a
    report to the States (R.27/2008) in which the then Council indicated the intention to
    hold a full public enquiry once the criminal process had been completed.
    The Panel has always held the view that it is not within its own remit to investigate
    such issues, particularly those arising from individual complaints, and strongly
    believes that only a fully independent enquiry can deal fully and objectively with the
    issues.

    The Panel acknowledges that our understanding of the historic child abuse that
    occurred in the Island has grown following the various reviews that have been
    undertaken since 2008. However, a reversal of the previous commitment to hold a full
    Committee of Enquiry is an extremely serious matter and the Panel believes that it is
    essential that these factors should be fully debated by the States before it is determined
    whether such a conclusion is warranted.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Now that is the correct attitude to be taken.... :)

    ReplyDelete