Fresh review of eight alleged child abuse cases to be released

Wednesday 27 January 2016

The Jersey Care Inquiry is to publish a new report, written by a top QC, on whether suspects escaped justice in eight cases of alleged abuse of children in States care.

Inquiry Chair Frances Oldham promised to release the report in a statement given at the beginning of proceedings on Tuesday. She said: “The inquiry has instructed a QC from England to review a selection of decisions about whether to prosecute individuals alleged to commit criminal offences against children in the care of the States of Jersey.

“Nicholas Griffin QC has completed a report into eight selected cases. This has been released to interested parties and will be made available to the public in due course.

“He is due to give oral evidence to the enquiry in February. I want to make it clear that this report is only part of the inquiry's work in pursuing Term of Reference 13. Other prosecution files will be put to relevant witnesses and examined by the inquiry in the preparation of its final report.”

Term of Reference 13 refers to the Inquiry’s job to see if past decisions on prosecutions were taken professionally, and without political interference.