Guernsey CM blasts "vile scum" after faeces left at politician's home

Friday 29 July 2022

Guernsey's Chief Minister has shared a message of support after one of the island's politicians had excrement left on the doorstep of her family home following a controversial planning decision.

The incident of harassment against Deputy Victoria Oliver, President of the island's Planning Authority, happened yesterday - just 24 hours after a development to build 68 homes on a former greenhouse site called Pointues Rocques was passed.

Chief Minister Deputy Peter Ferbrache labeled the culprit "vile scum" and said he wanted them to come forward so that he can meet them "and that person can then explain how they regard such behaviour as acceptable."

His comments came after Deputy Oliver spoke out about the harassment this morning.

"Yesterday was a difficult long day. Every time we have an Open Planning Meeting we have the challenging task of weighing up the opinion of all stakeholders to the applications in their entirety and within the scope of the law," she said, referring to the Pointues Rocques controversy earlier this week.

“I, like every other human, do not like all the negative comments and people being rude especially knowing my family are also potentially reading it, but understand that emotions run high and they are just words. 

“However, someone crossed the line yesterday by coming to our family home, fortunately while our three young children were out and left excrement on my door step just because I, and my colleagues, made a decision this person didn’t agree with.”

Pictured: “While I am in public office feel free to write me a letter or an email or even phone me like a grown adult and I will happily talk about my decisions," Deputy Oliver said.

The Deputy added that she will "happily talk" about her decisions, and welcomed letters, emails or speaking on the phone to individuals who wished to do so "like a grown adult".

In a show of solidarity this morning, Deputy Peter Ferbrache said: “We live in a democracy and it is thus right and proper that our decisions are scrutinised.  It is also the province of anyone to disagree with our decisions.  

“What is not acceptable is what Deputy Oliver had to experience very recently. It undoubtedly arose from the decision that she and her colleagues on the Development and Planning Authority made in respect of the Pointues Rocques planning application."

Pictured: The island's Chief Minister said he would like to meet with the person who left the excrement, who he described as "vile scum".

He continued: “Deputy Oliver is married with a young family. Some cowardly person decided to leave a bag of excrement at her door. That is absolutely unacceptable. I regard the person who did that as vile scum.

"I ask them, but do not expect them to have the decency or courage so to do, to identify themselves to me.

"We can then meet and that person can then explain how they regard such behaviour as acceptable."

Paying tribute to Deputy Oliver's work, he said: "On behalf of all the decent people of Guernsey I would like to thank Deputy Oliver for the work she does and emphasise to her that we all support her and despise the actions of the vile individual who behaves so abominably."

Express has contacted the Police to ask if they are investigating and is awaiting a response.