Ministers divided but extra abuse inquiry funding agreed

Thursday 26 March 2015

The budget for the child abuse inquiry has been raised to £20 million, but the States have set a deadline for the end of next year for the final report.

Yesterday the States agreed Chief Minister Ian Gorst’s proposal for an extra £14 million for the inquiry in a 25-six vote – but there was a mini-revolt from ministers, just three of whom backed up Senator Gorst's proposition.

Health Minister Andrew Green, Economic Development Minister Lyndon Farnham and Housing Minister Anne Pryke all supported the extra funding, but the Council of Ministers was divided: Transport Minister Eddie Noel, Social Security Minister Susie Pinel, Environment Minister Steve Luce and Education Minister Rod Bryans all voted against the extra £14 million - effectively saying that the inquiry should be shut down in the next few weeks.

In addition, External Relations Minister abstained from the vote, after saying that the States should “draw a line in the sand” over historic abuse. Treasury Minister Alan Maclean and Home Affairs Minister Kristina Moore were not in the States for the vote, having not turned up for the day's debate - while another senior figure, Senator Philip Ozouf was listed as "out of the Island". 

So far, the inquiry has heard evidence from abuse victims about the sustained physical and sexual abuse that they were subjected to while in care. Evidence has been heard about the Beast of Jersey at children’s homes, that the head of Haut de la Garenne raped a young girl at the home, and that notorious paedophile Jimmy Savile had been in Jersey.

So far, legal costs for the inquiry States departments and the compensation scheme have totalled £6.5 million.

That figure is way in excess of the £1.9 million paid out to victims during the “Historic Redress Scheme” – a compensation scheme set up to make some financial reparation for victims who suffered years of abuse as children.