Friday 9 December 2011

What a difference a Child Abuse Investigation makes.

Below is a previous post from one of our sister sites revised and revisited and the question still remains, how could it be that Former Police Chief Officer Graham Power QPM and Former Deputy Chief Officer Lenny Harper forgot all their police training and experience once they started investigating Institutional Child Abuse in Jersey's State run "care" homes?


Back in early 2007  Chief Police Officer Graham Power and Deputy Chief Officer Lenny Harper were “the good guys”. They were rooting out the alleged corruption in Jersey's “outdated” Police force and according to Jersey's only "News"paper, the Jersey Evening Post, “ It goes without saying that in the police - beyond all other institutions - there is no room whatsoever for corruption or malpractice. If the professional standards section of our force determined that it was necessary to act with exemplary firmness, its stance deserves support rather than criticism.”
Below is that editorial published by the Jersey Evening Post early in 2007 where one would believe, after receiving glowing reports from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate, Lenny Harper and Graham Power were doing this right. This appears to be endorsed by the Jersey Evening Post, hence their “positive” Editorial.

But along came a Child Abuse Investigation, and these two cops who had received glowing reports from HMI and others also the support of the Jersey Evening Post - before you know it - they’re the bad guys! Come on JEP you can’t have it both ways, at what point did they lose your support, when was it that they went bad?

Everything all seemed Hunky Dory until these guys started investigating institutional Child Abuse.

I should like at this point to throw out a challenge to the Jersey Evening Post.

In their Editorial of February 23rd 2010 (below) they have written “One is that Mr Power’s deputy, Lenny Harper, was not effectively supervised as he pursued with ever increasing public zeal his unsubstantiated suspicions that torture, murder and institutional cover-up had taken place at the former children’s home.”


Could you please point us in the direction where Lenny Harper has ever said there was any “murder” at HDLG?


JEP Editorial from 2007.

Police Chief delivers change.
Six years ago the States of Jersey Police were the subject of a less than flattering report compiled in the wake of a visit by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary. Since then, problems clearly have been solved and new standards have been set, the latest HMI report

having described the force as “modern and fast-moving”.
Police Chief Graham Power and his officers can be proud of this achievement. In common with forces up and down Britain, the States Police are a complex and many-layered organisation. Accomplishing the turn-around of the past six years can therefore, have been no easy undertaking. Nor can it have been particularly pleasant. The process of major change is always likely to upset those set in their ways or content to roll along in accordance with comfortable but outdated routines.

This process of transformation was undoubtedly at its most challenging when the professional standards department, led by Mr. Power’s deputy, Lenny Harper, embarked on a systematic programme to root out corruption. Mr. Harper’s determined efforts have been attacked - to the extent that they have been described as “out of control” by a prominent former politician - but the result of the latest HMI inspection would seem to justify the decision to probe as deeply as possible and to remove those officers who were less than a credit to their uniform.
It goes without saying that in the police - beyond all other institutions - there is no room whatsoever for corruption or malpractice. If the professional standards section of our force determined that it was necessary to act with exemplary firmness, its stance deserves support rather than criticism.

There are, of course, areas of the force where improvements can still be made. Indeed, the inspectorate has listed 78 suggestions for further change. With the combination of improved morale, high levels of confidence in the top echelon and firm political support, Mr. Power and his colleagues are in an excellent position to deliver that change.
We in Jersey are fortunate to live in a community where serious crime is mercifully rare. While important questions remain over the failure of the States to establish a new police authority , the force itself is organised and led in a way more than capable of maintaining this happy state of affairs.


But along came a Child Abuse Investigation and the JEP are not so supportive. As the Editorial from the same "News"paper, some three years later, demonstrates.


Mr Power: Time to call a halt
February 23, 2010 – 3:00 pm

ALMOST exactly two years since the name of Haut de la Garenne hit the world’s headlines, Jersey is still dealing with the fall-out.

The ramifications of how the police and politicians handled that dramatic escalation of the Island’s historical child abuse inquiry will once again tax the wisdom of States Members this week when they debate Deputy Bob Hill’s call for a committee of inquiry into the suspension of States police chief Graham Power.
We may never know precisely what arguments he will make because the debate is to be held in private, but they will need to be powerful ones to justify the protraction of an already extensive examination.

There seems to be little, if any, doubt over the two key points. One is that Mr Power’s deputy, Lenny Harper, was not effectively supervised as he pursued with ever increasing public zeal his unsubstantiated suspicions that torture, murder and institutional cover-up had taken place at the former children’s home. The other is that in suspending Mr Power because of that failure of oversight, the powers that be slipped up in one or more parts of the procedural minefield that now surrounds employer/employee relations in Jersey.
Unequivocally damning evidence in respect of the first of those points has already been presented by the States police’s own review of the conduct of the abuse inquiry, carried out by a suitably qualified senior officer from the UK. More expert comment on the whole affair is due soon from the Wiltshire Constabulary, who have been commissioned to take a further independent view.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Terry Le Sueur has offered a review of the way Mr Power’s suspension was carried out. All this has already taken longer and cost more than is reasonable, with the delay providing a field day for conspiracy theorists in the process.In reaching a decision this week, the States will have to balance a number of tricky questions, including, crucially, what is fair to Mr Power but also what is fair to Jersey and to the taxpayer.
Mr Power has been suspended for more than a year. He is now near retirement and, one way or another, will undoubtedly leave Jersey well rewarded for his ultimately disappointing time in the Island. There is, nevertheless, understandable sadness that a dedicated, respected police officer who has given long and distinguished service should find himself in this position at the end of his career.

Depending on one’s point of view, that sympathy will either be diluted or reinforced by the knowledge that Mr Power and Mr Harper co-existed as two sides of a triangular relationship with a weak Home Affairs Minister in former Senator Wendy Kinnard.
From any perspective, though, there is strong evidence that Mr Power has largely brought his troubles on himself through his failure to control Mr Harper. For that reason Deputy Hill, himself a former Metropolitan Police officer of the old school, will have a hard task convincing the States that there would be any overwhelmingly important purpose served by dragging out this whole grim process even further.(END)


What a difference a Child Abuse investigation makes.



22 comments:

  1. Everyone who tries to investigate the Grand Prix/Pindown scandal gets persecuted and the children who were abused are dismissed as somehow deserving everything that happened to them.

    So glad Stuart is writing that book now.

    I hope Lenny and Graham have both read THE APPALLING VISTA by Brian Rothery, I know I keep nagging about this but I really feel it is important for everyone who has tried to investigate the Grand Prix/Pindown scandal or any other organised paedophile scandal to read that book, to understand how they get away with this stuff and how they organise themselves and trick people.

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  2. Are people allowed to send Christmas presents to the prisoners at La Moye? A book, for example?

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  3. “More expert comment on the whole affair is due soon from the Wiltshire Constabulary, who have been commissioned to take a further independent view.”

    The Wiltshire review has subsequently been discredited for not producing one disciplinary charge running way over budget and missing all deadlines Mr. Power retired an innocent man but not for the lack of trying on behalf of the State Media and powers that be who were trying ever so desperately to pin something ANYTHING on him and couldn’t coz there was nothing. They had to make do with calling Lenny Harper a nasty man for spending too much money on a minestrone soup in a restaurant.

    Still we don’t know how it was possible for children to be abused for decades in State run Institutions this is the most glaring question and none of our State Media have sought the answer.

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  4. JEP today : Under the Clock (p20), a photo of former rag reporter John Averty.

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  5. - regular blog readers will know the significance of the name.

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  6. John Averty, I remember the name very well, please can you remind me?

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  7. Christmas Appeal has new leader

    Wednesday 2nd December 2009, 2:57PM GMT.


    Guiton Group chairman John Averty

    A NEW chairman of the Joint Charities Christmas Appeal has been appointed following the resignation of Edward Trevor.

    John Averty, the chairman of the Guiton Group which owns the JEP, has now taken the reins of the appeal and is urging Islanders to show their support and help families in need this Christmas. Mr Averty was appointed the new chairman at a meeting of the Rotary de la Manche last night. The club are responsible for chairing the appeal this year. Mr Trevor resigned yesterday following a storm of criticism over remarks he made about Aids sufferers, who he said were ‘generally promiscuous’ and got it ‘through their own stupidity’.

    In a statement issued yesterday, Mr Trevor said that he resigned in a bid to reduce any further damage to the appeal. Mr Averty is a former president of Rotary de la Manche and chairman of the JEP, which started the appeal over 100 years ago.

    He said: ‘What’s happened is most unfortunate. But what is really important now is our focus on helping those in need to have a happier Christmas than they would otherwise enjoy. That needs the people of Jersey to once again open their hearts and wallets and donate generously.’

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  8. Two things re JEP.

    Jersey's reputation must be shown in the highest regard and the JEP see themselves as champions of this and they need a steady income and by not following their income supporters line they may lose that income and possibly go to the dogs.

    Obviously the JEP is a business as well as a newspaper, that goes without saying. Problem is their business interests have outweighed their journalistic interests.

    I think it comes down to them losing their morals as far as journalism goes and being far more concerned with building the business.

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  9. JEP today : Under the Clock (p20), a photo of former rag reporter John Averty.

    Yes I though that as well!

    Being dyslexic I though a Papist had to be Catholic

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  10. Olympic Torch Relay Team9 December 2011 at 21:47

    We are delighted to tell you that Stuart Syvret has been given a conditional offer to be a London 2012 Olympic Torchbearer! They have been selected out of tens of thousands of exceptional nominations.

    They now have to take a few important final steps and we will be emailing them to let them know what they have to do.

    By March next year we will be able to confirm they will have their moment to shine carrying the Olympic Flame.

    We are sure you are excited but don't forget: Stuart is not assured of being a Torchbearer until we have processed their details. With this in mind we would advise waiting until then before speaking to your local press.

    Thank you for taking the time to nominate them. Now you just need to make sure you'll be ready to cheer them on as they carry the Flame. Why not sign up to be a London 2012 Local Leader? You'll get lots of hints and tips of how you can get your friends, family and local community together to celebrate the Games, including during the Relay.

    Best wishes,

    The London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay team

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  11. Jerry retires, Paul takes over in Channel Islands

    Jerry Ramsden - 14 years at helm


    Best wishes to Jerry Ramsden, MD of the Jersey Evening Post and Guernsey Press, who is to retire in April. I recall Jerry, a former Northcliffe MD, taking over the role at the JEP 14 years ago. Since then he has overseen many changes - including the takeover of the Guernsey paper. I have worked closely with him and his editors, helping them to relaunch the Press as a compact back in 1999 and assisting in a further redesign in 2006. We have also run its training diploma and recently helped the Press to restructure its newsroom. Jerry has guided the group through difficult times and the penetration and sales performance is still the envy of every other UK title. More than that, I visit a lot of offices where the atmosphere is flat and, I'm afraid, sometimes depressing. That has never been the case in Jersey or Guernsey - both vibrant newsrooms full of committed and hospitable people. Jerry will be succeeded by another safe pair of hands, Paul Carter. Paul has held many jobs in the regional Press starting as a tea-boy at the Lancashire Evening Post and rising to ad director at the Birmingham Post and Mail. In 2000 he became MD at the Guernsey Press before taking a group role. I first came across him when he was ad manager at The Northern Echo and ended up buying my old house in Teesdale as I left to head south. Small world. Good luck to both of them.

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  12. "We are delighted to tell you that Stuart Syvret has been given a conditional offer to be a London 2012 Olympic Torchbearer! "

    WOW!

    This is great news!

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  13. Olympic Torch Relay Team.

    "They now have to take a few important final steps and we will be emailing them to let them know what they have to do."

    He'll not be able to " to take a few important final steps" they will be e-mailing him for obvious reasons. He is due to be released in the first week of January..........If not before!

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  14. Great,one who degrades Aids sufferers resigns to let an "alleged" drunk of a rapist take over you can't make it up or the jersey way!
    Still waiting for my moment with the drunken bully after trying it on with my missus many years ago at a modern hotel xmas do,only just found out after mentioning his name re these accusations to her then it came out.Beware you snivelling little rat your day will come!!

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  15. The future of the NEWS

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  16. The State Media merely repeat something that somebody has SAID

    How many times have you read in the JEP "it has been alleged" and such like but they don't tell you who has "alleged" it? How do you know it's true?

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  17. Can I ask please, that when you post YouTube links you also give the title of the clip, so we don't have to waste our time viewing something we've already seen - if we already have? Thanks

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  18. I see the "Governor's Flag" on the Fort's west bastion is in tatters again - sums up the authorities over here.

    What has the new gov done to cover himself in glory yet? Or the new police chief? He's pandered to the moans of those who want to see more bobbies on the beat, but what else? Same old same old.

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  19. With regards to the new POLICE CHIEF it certainly does appear that policing has been “put back in its box.” We have been told of the alleged planning corruption and all seems to have gone very quiet with that supposed investigation. We have also been told by the Former Senior Investigating Officer of the Child Abuse Enquiry, Mr. Lenny Harper, that there could be up to four people still in positions of authority who were “priority suspects” and all has gone quiet there. Still they’ve (the police) got motorbikes now!

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  20. But I suppose we who fight against child abuse are outlaws. We are in trouble if we so much as drop a sweety paper accidentally on the floor, but if we are abused, attacked, hacked, libelled, persecuted we have no-one to help us, as too many lines are getting drawn under things

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