Alleged abuser tells inquiry there was no “rough and tumble”

Wednesday 15 April 2015

The first former staff member at Haut de la Garenne to give evidence to the care inquiry – who will face allegations of abuse later this morning – has told the panel that he did nothing wrong, and felt he was helping the children.

The witness – named only as Mr K – has been accused in previous hearings of indecently assaulting a young boy, and beating two others.

But when he began his evidence yesterday, Mr K – who worked at the notorious home in the 1970s and 1980s – told the inquiry panel that he saw no abuse.

“I truly enjoyed my time at Haut de la Garenne, I felt I was doing some good for the children,” he said.

This morning, Mr K will face allegations that he put his hand down a 12-year-old boy’s pants, that he held another up by his legs by one hand and repeatedly punched him with the other, and that he hit a boy over the head and physically threw him into his bedroom.

When he gave evidence yesterday, Mr K told the panel that when he went for an interview for a full-time job at the home after working there part-time for a spell, he was interviewed by a politician, the head of children’s services, and the head of the home (who has also been accused of abusing children there). He said that the female politician whom was on the panel greeted him by asking after his mother and that “as I knew everyone in the room, I did presume that I would get the job”.

He also said that he had no formal training, no formal supervision and was sometimes alone with children but denied that there was any “rough and tumble” with them.

But he said that while the majority of the young people at the home “were not unruly” he knew that “it was not a great place to be”.