A little short of a month ago VFC
published another Blogger (Jersey’s only independent media) exclusive.
We brought you the story from the mother
of a child who was allegedly shot in the face by a teacher at his school using
a Starting Pistol indoors at a five a side football match.
The teacher was fined £1,000 in the
Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to discharging an imitation firearm
although it is still a mystery as to why the teacher was not charged with
assault, Actual Bodily Harm.
VFC is horrified, and appalled, to learn
that after a so-called “internal” investigation, at the Education Department,
the teacher is now back teaching at the school.
What kind of a message does this send
out to parents, and the wider world? In our original reporting of this TRAGIC CASE a number of questions were asked and still remain unanswered, not
least this; “what really has changed in child protection since the Haut de la
Garenne/Savile cover-up? How much safer are our children now and how better
represented are they when up against a States Department?”
It would appear that no lessons have
been learnt since the Haut de la Garenne/Savile cover-up and the Education
Department STILL won’t take child protection issues seriously.
It is inconceivable to believe a teacher
can discharge an imitation firearm, at
an indoor five a side football match, which causes a child to be taken to
the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department, be found guilty of the
offence in the Magistrates Court and still keep his job.
Who conducted this “internal”
investigation? What was its Terms Of Reference? Why wasn’t it an external and independent investigation?
Considering all the alleged failings in this case has ANYBODY been held to
account and if not why not?
We must remember that the “incident”
occurred in the second lesson of the day yet the mother wasn’t informed of it
until the child came home from school and told her himself. Why was the
headmaster not told about the incident until the mother told him when she found
out? Why didn’t the school take the child to A&E? How are parents supposed
to have confidence that their child is safe at school when this sort of
behavior (apparent worthless “internal” investigations) is still happening in light of
the Haute de la Garenne/Savile atrocities/cover-ups?
Why isn’t the State Media reporting on
this or asking any questions? Who IS asking questions besides Bloggers
(Jersey’s only independent media)?
Despite Jersey being at the centre of a
major Child abuse cover-up, and attempting to raise its profile on the
international/world stage as an open transparent and trustworthy jurisdiction,
it is clear that NO lessons have been learnt and child protection issues remain
as they always have……….non existent and so-called “investigations” are still
conducted “in-house” with no outside scrutiny.
Speaking of scrutiny why is the
Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel so quiet on this issue? Who in Jersey
will stand up, speak out, for its children if they won't?
If you believe child protection is taken
any more seriously now than it was pre- Savile/HDLG you might want to think
again?
Part one of this story can be read HERE
