A student from Spain is delving into a chilling case that shook the island to its core – with hopes of writing a book that will bring new details to light.
Despite having no personal or familial link to the island, Alvaro González Rodríguez – a student in his a final-year at the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain – said he became interested in the story of the Beast of Jersey after stumbling across records about Edward Paisnel during his studies.
The Beast of Jersey was a serial sex offender who entered the homes of women and children at night, and attacked them while wearing a rubber mask for more than a decade from 1957.
He was only caught in 1971 after being stopped by police for running a traffic light, at which point a search of his car uncovered elements of his ‘Beast’ costume.
While much was reported at the time, with Paisnel’s wife, Joan, even writing a book in 1972, Alvaro told Express that he was hoping to reach out to islanders to uncover new perspectives about the chilling case.
“The purpose of this project is not to sensationalise the crimes, but to document the case in its entirety, as well as its historical and social impact on the island and its people,” he said.
“I am approaching the case from a broader perspective, taking into account various viewpoints and data that have so far gone unnoticed.”
The purpose of this project is not to sensationalise the crimes
ALVARO González Rodríguez
He said he wanted to hear from islanders who may have personal experiences or knowledge about Edward Paisnel, in the hope of bringing awareness of the historical events to a new audiance.
Alvaro said he was also hoping to cover the stories of figures such as Alan Norton, who spent more than 30 years in jail for stabbing his 11-year-old sister Joy to death in 1965 and maintained that Paisnel was responsible for the killing.
He also wants to highlight the story of Alphonse Le Gastelois, who went into self-imposed exile and set up home on this far flung often harsh outpost of St Martin in 1961, because he felt persecuted having been wrongly accused of the crimes committed by Paisnel. He passed away in 2012.
Alvaro said he was aware there “may still be silent victims”, whose perspectives he said he wanted to explore.
“My aim is to offer a thorough and balanced analysis that will both surprise readers and provide them with new insights into the subject,” he added.
Anyone who may wish to contact Alvaro about his project can email alvaritogr015@gmail.com.