Regret without Guilt

http://www.bbc.co.uk/jersey/content/articles/2008/03/06/hdlg_deputy_power_feature.shtml?comment=response#comment

Deputy Sean Power has issued a message in which he comments on the child abuse incidents coming to light in Jersey, and downplays it in various ways.

"I try to imagine the pain and suffering that occurred in this Home to those unfortunate few children that may have paid the ultimate price."

Given that the number of former children contacting the police about child abuse matters is now in excess of 200, and a good many of these relate to Haut de la Garenne, I'd really wonder what the "few" is doing in his comment.

He then comments scathingly about the media reports.

"There has a great deal of unfairness, inaccuracy and downright sensational reporting. "

True in some cases, but there has also been a lot of sharp, acute and accurate reporting. For instance the BBC Panorama, the BBC Radio 4 Investigation, etc. And there is no freedom of information act in Jersey. The Sharp Report, the Kathy Bull Report, and countless other investigations remain confidential, under wraps, not able to be checked by the Islanders. Mike Vibert says the Sharp Report could not be made public domain because it mentioned names of victims; if there is one name of any victim mentioned, I will donate £50 to a charity of his choice. (I don;t count the adult individuals involved in covering it up - Jack Hydes, Piers Baker, John Le Breton as "victims") So there has been a great deal of unfairness, inaccuracy, and downright misleading information handed out locally as well. Is it any wonder the UK media dig deep and don't accept the presentation of the Jersey authorities at face value? Why should they?

"In my opinion, the biggest threat to the Island is from within. There are those who are born here and living here that would strip our individuality, independence and self-governing sovereignty and turn us into part of a UK constituency."

This is a "straw man" tactic, designed to ensure that any criticism from within is done by people wanting to remove Jersey's independence. Cecil Clothier recommended the separation of powers of Bailliff as president of States and head of Judiciary, back in 2000, as did the late Vernon Tomes. The call has come again, but it is hardly new (8 years ago now), and the impetus, as with Clothier and Tomes was to reform the States, to make it better, more independent, less conflicted, and certainly not to do away with the States altogether.

"It would be very easy now to turn inwards and attack all our institutions. That is not the correct thing to do, nor is it the Jersey way."

Sound robust criticism of failings is not "turning inwards". Turning inwards is what the ostrich mentality does, when it buries its head in the sand, or - as reported on the BBC Investigation programme - when a Parish Constable is in denial about child abuse and says "it doesn't happen in my Parish" (I know the former Constable in question, and although I like her as a person, she is always sure that she is right).

That is turning inwards, closing one's eyes. The former prison governor's remarks on the BBC Investigation also speaks about "bullying" people who speak out, and civil servant officials in authority, with little or no experience of the Prison Service, who tried to block all his attempts to improve the prison, and bring it up to modern standards. Those are the people "turning inwards", and by doing so they are shamefully betraying our heritage.

"Above all else, we must believe in the independence, competence, ability and integrity of Jersey's Crown Officers and especially the Attorney General and his department."

Having seen how the Bailliff, as Attorney General, behaved over the Roger Holland affair, and read his statement, which mentions "mistakes" but makes no explicit apology to those who were victims because of those mistakes, I think that the current holder of the office of Bailliff has shown little competence or ability in that action, and the lack of apology speaks realms about "integrity". When the late Senator John Rothwell was in tears about the mistake he made dumping potatoes at Beauport, and offered to resign, that was integrity.

That is not to say the office should be one to which we should be dismissive; it is simply that the current holder has acted in such a manner as would in other jurisdictions bring that office into disrepute (as noted by the BBC Investigation).

"This is a time for calm collective thoughts. This is a time for collective responsibility and justice. "

This translates, I think as (a) don't speak out it anger at the fact that this was allowed to go on for so long, and comment on the ineptitude of officials or ministers (like Frank "shafted" Walker) (b) keep a collective silence on the matter.

It is the adjective "collective" that what Ernie Rea (BBC Presenter) would term "weasley words"; it is a time for responsibility and justice. Why does Sean Power need the adjective? It seems he is caught between the Scylla of Collective Responsibility and the Charybdis of Indifference.