NO child murders took place at Haut de la Garenne, police have concluded after a major review of evidence gathered during the excavation of the former children’s home.
That review has rejected several of the key claims made during the investigation into historical child abuse by former deputy police chief Lenny Harper, who led it.
In a dramatic development calling into question Mr Harper’s handling of the whole operation, which resulted in international allegations of corruption against the Island, community and authorities, the new senior officers leading the investigation have concluded that:
• No children were murdered at Haut de la Garenne.
• No bodies were hidden or burnt there.
• There is no evidence to suggest that the 65 children’s teeth found there were not shed naturally.
• The majority of the bone fragments which were tested were animal.
• Two of three bone fragments which were possibly human but not positively identified as such are dated between 1470 and 1670, and the third between 1660 and 1950.
• Items considered as possibly shackles, but not named as such by Mr Harper, are just rusty pieces of metal.
• There is no evidence that an item found which it was believed could have been improvised restraints is anything suspicious.
• No blood was found in samples detected by sniffer dogs in the concrete bath.
• There is no evidence that the bath was used in the carrying out of any offences.
• The underground spaces referred to as cellars, and in some media reports as dungeons or punishment rooms, were voids and not cellars.
The police emphasise that the historical child abuse inquiry, which began two years ago, will continue to be the main focus of the investigation, but say there will not be the number of prosecutions that the public were led to believe would take place.
The focus of the investigation switched to Haut de la Garenne in February this year, with major excavation leading to media reports around the world on alleged torture, murder and official cover-ups. The last official estimate of the cost of the inquiry, made in August, was £7.5m.
Jersey,s new deputy police chief, David Warcup, who now has strategic responsibility for the inquiry, said today at a press conference held at police headquarters that some of the information given out in police statements during the investigation had been incorrect.
Mr Warcup said: ‘It is extremely unfortunate that some of the information given out was not strictly accurate, which, coupled with considerable speculation, has not assisted the inquiry.’
He added: ‘I am of the opinion that speculation will in future be shown to have had a detrimental impact on the inquiry and may have had an impact on public confidence in the criminal justice system.’
The deputy police chief said that he wanted to clarify a number of issues about the search of Haut de la Garenne, where a considerable number of forensic exhibits had been recovered.
He said that statements issued by the States of Jersey Police suggested that serious criminal offences had been perpetrated at Haut de la Garenne against children and that possibly children might have been murdered and their bodies disposed of by being burnt or buried within the home.
‘I will make a number of key points to reassure the public and provide clarity about reported events,’ he said.
Mr Warcup said that a clear distinction was now being made between the forensic finds uncovered during the excavation of the building and the investigation into historical child abuse.
He said that he and the inquiry’s new senior investigating officer, Detective Superintendent Mick Gradwell, believed that none of the forensic finds from Haut de la Garenne was connected to the historical child abuse aspects of the inquiry.
He said: ‘It is our assessment that the forensic recoveries do not indicate that there were murders of children or other people at Haut de la Garenne. Nor do we believe the evidence indicates that bodies have been destroyed, burnt or hidden there.’
Mr Warcup said that there were still opportunities for further forensic analysis, and should new evidence come to light appropriate action would be taken.
He added later: ‘Our conclusion that no murders took place at Haut de la Garenne is backed up by a report from the Metropolitan Police following a review of the inquiry.’
Because legal proceedings were under way, Mr Warcup said, it was not possible to discuss every aspect of the investigation.
‘But it is right that we should ensure facts are properly reported, as the inaccurate presentation of facts can create a real risk to future trials,’ he said.
Mr Warcup said that although there would not be the number of prosecutions which the public had been led to expect, that in no way reflected on the commitment of the inquiry team.
He emphasised that the complainants and the witnesses coming forward were central to the investigation. ‘My message to them is clear. None of the statements we are making today question our absolute commitment to the full and thorough investigation of the complaints which have been made with the aim of uncovering the truth and bringing anyone responsible for offending to justice.’
The new team believe that the five-month excavations at Haut de la Garenne had led to a loss of a lot of time in the child abuse inquiry. ‘Mr Gradwell and I have returned the full focus, energy and efforts back to the complainants in the child abuse investigation,’ he said.
Asked by the JEP what he would say to anyone suggesting that he and his team might be covering up any alleged child murders, Mr Warcup said that he would totally reject any such claims. ‘I have over 20 years of senior experience within one of the largest and most successful forces in the country dealing with a range of difficult and complex cases and would ask anyone making such claims what my motive would be to do so,’ he said.
Mr Warcup said that before coming to the Island he had never met Mr Gradwell and yet they were both in full agreement that no murders had taken place at the site – a conclusion supported by the Metropolitan Police review.
He was also asked if he had received any pressure from anyone in government in relation to the inquiry and said that definitely was not the case.
He was then asked where he believed the findings left the police chief, Graham Power, who had been in overall charge of the force while Mr Harper ran the inquiry.
He responded: ‘I have the strategic lead responsibility for the inquiry and come to the press conference to provide information about what the situation is and how I see the current state of the inquiry and to keep the public properly informed. I want to ensure that the public have the correct facts.’
• Picture: Deputy police chief David Warcup (right) and the man now leading the inquiry, Detective Superintendent Mick Gradwell, at a press conference this morning
Article posted on 12th November, 2008 - 3.01pm
45 Article Comments
Cover up, whitewash, typical Jersey way. This whole thing stinks. Bring back Lenny Harper. Warcup is a puppet who is hanging out for his retirement.
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It is about time we had the proper truth and it is reassuring that we now have 2 people heading the enquiry who will pull no punches and are honest. Their presentation was very well done and now these rumours of murder can be all but shelved.
I think Lenny Harper should be brought back after all this now to be honest. Over £7 Million Pounds worth of tax payers money used up mainly due to sensational headlines. What was he playing at?
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I do hope people read what Mr Warcup said carefully.
The investigation into child abuse will continue, as it should.
The diversion of effort resulting from Mr Harper’s inaccurate and speculative comments hindered that investigation.
And the external review by the Metropolitan Police validates Mr Warcup’s opinion, before Senator Syvret starts jumping up and down again.
Welcome to Jersey, Mr Warcup. We have need you for quite a long time.
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Who benefits from the release of this information at this juncture? The 100+ victims of abuse that have come forward? The men standing accused of abusing children? The politicians? What good does this do, and what harm? Many, many questions for the Home Office inquiry into the handling of this apalling affair.
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Perhaps Lenny Harper dramatised the whole issue in order to grind a few axes and show up the States of Jersey – it was rediculous at the time and now it is absurd!
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darren, there is enough outside back-up to this press release to squash the cover up nonsence.
People now need to accept reality. Harper was not a good copper.
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This is our truth, or at least the version of it that our council of Ministers wants us to have and if you deviate from it, then you are gone. Graham Power found this out to his cost and now his career will be torn to shreds by the jackals that want this swept under a large and expensive carpet. So far, this has cost the island £7.5 million maybe more. But the cost to the victims (perhaps we will be told in due course that there were NO victims?) has been immeasureable and long term in nature.
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Darren has it the whole thing stinks. This is why none of the victims came forward earlier – they knew it would be covered up and swept under the carpet as its the Jersey way. At least now the world knows what Jersey is like.
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I’m dumfounded by those that still think Lenny Harper was a good thing for this island.
Too many people like to entertain the idea of an evil government of cover-ups and conspiracies rather than a mistake prone band of enemies to reason.
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Obviously the abuse enquiry is still a very important issue but had the whole enquiry been dealt with professionally from the start those investigations would have benefited from lack of deviation over the sensationalist claims regarding child murders.
When it was established the “skull” was in fact a piece of wood or coconut this was not released into the public domain as it should have been straight away. Why?
It still amazes me that there are people who want to believe that murders took place despite the real facts now laid before us.
It is an absolute disgrace that Jersey has been dragged through the media mire (not to mention the costs involved with specialist forensic teams brought in from the UK)!!
Hopefully we have a professional now in charge and they can get on a deal with the real issue in hand regarding abuse.
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The argument for Lenny Harper has been lost. The Metropolitan Police have been involved, so if the conspiracy theorists are correct, then the whole Police Force including in the UK is corrupt which is stupid.
Like I said before, Lenny Harper should be brought back over here to explain himself to the people of Jersey now. The truth is out, he was a sensationalist for the media and sparked a load of unfounded gossip which damaged the Island and cost the tax people a lot of money.
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the empire strikes back …
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No wonder Senator Kennard resigned in the last few weeks, no doubt she knew this was coming and got out of the kitchen before the fire started. As for Senator walker he was lead up the garden path, talk-about being hoodwinked, who else in the council of ministers will be next to fly or be booted out of the nest over this saga.
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Isn’t it better to cover all possibilities and spend money than end up with cases like Haringey?
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I agree, what a cover up.
Sara, face reality. The States are scared and pleased that Mr Harper has retired I feel sorry for the people who came forward giving their stories of abuse. This all makes a mockery of them and the Island.
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I hope Syvret resigns and retracts some of his wild accusations of dead children. I doubt it somehow, not his style to eat humble pie. His rantings and ravings forced the politicians to practically give an open cheque-book to the whole affair, or be accused of a cover-up.
The whole idea of abuse is a very traumatic experience for the victims, not to be used for political point scoring.
I bet Syvret will now claim the Met are corrupt , and are part of the cover-up just to reinforce his delusions.
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Mmm. So it’s all the coppers fault. Not so sure. This smells of cover up and spin. A 180 degree turn in events?? How very convenient for all those police, senior civil servants and politicians who turned a blind eye to the abuse for years and years. Happy retirement to you all, but don’t sleep easy. The more this gets swept under the carpet, the bigger the storm will hit you all one day.
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Just what on earth is going on with our establishment.
Who do you believe? How can the police be trusted? The damage to the island’s reputation? The wasted millions. True or False?
Stunned and confused by today’s news. Is this a major cover up? How can we tell?
Either way, how can we recover from this? The outside world must be bemused about the way the Island goes about it’s business, the ill-advised PR fiascos?
A rise in GST to pay for it and the inquiry that will follow?
A Chief Officer made a scapegoat?
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Unaccountability again (!)
The Ministers are again having an attack of ‘The Slippery Shoulders’. Just who was signing the cheques(?) and questioning why Police were on Duty @ double time everyday (!!) @ HDG.
We again show our amateur side to the world. It is time for change, reduce the number of Ministers remove deputies and constables from the states chamber and implement the Clothier Report please.
I have nothing but sympathy for any ‘victims’ caught up in this ‘mess’, but as we stand they will not get justice (!!) that is a bad thing (!!)
I have no sympathy for our States Ministers, you all should hang your heads in shame (!!)
The full finding of Mr Harper (who no doubt is now signing his book deal!) must be made public, this way the tax payer can make up his/her own mind.
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Wait until you see the Howard League for Penal Reform Report on HDG. Perhaps then we’ll all understand this amateurish piece of media manipulation. In the meantime, what damage has this done to the child abuse inquiry? If I was a victim I would be furious right now. My thoughts are with them.
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Lenny Harper stills thinks he has done a good job! After seeing the photos released yesterday I like many other sensible minded people are glad he has gone. This was his final case and boy what a meal he made out of it. The pro-Harper supporters must be feeling silly now surely? The MET have been involved, so their spin has now been sunk.
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The thing I don’t get is that so many people go on about a cover up when they have no evidence. It’s so easy to flex your muscles on a forum such as this instead of taking a stand.
All Syvret has done is to ruin the reputation of the island with little evidence that none of us have seen. Harper has made the whole investigation into something it has not and has probably harmed the abused from Haut De La Garenne by making this all look like a farce!
So all you conspiracy theorists, get off your PC’s and do something about it rather than merely claiming a cover up!
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Cover Up. The police say that the underground rooms were voids why then did all the victims come forward describing these torture chambers, and also what about the writing that was found scrawled on the pillar in the room were the bath was. What are the police saying that these victims are making up claims of the underground rooms?? i think not.
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Didn’t the ACPO review of Harper’s handling of the case state that ‘ best practice ‘ had been followed.
If this is the case Is Mr Warcup saying that the ACPO review is now flawed?
Who are we supposed to believe?
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Not a cover-ups? Have you forgotten the vic college fiasco?
This is a total cover up and Chris and Sara need to wake up to the fact that Jersey stinks!Where is this Metropolitan report? Why have we not heard anything about it – and if that was the case surely the met would make a complete statement on the news? Or am I right in thinking that you all believe that the media are to blame and not the initial findings of Mr Harper. Syvret stood up to a corrupt system and I can not believe some people out there wanted him gone!
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Oh Darren. Come on, we certainly don’t want Lenny Harper back in Jersey, do you have any idea what trouble and trauma that man has caused in and outside the States of Jersey Police.
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Clearly a cover up, the Police / Senior Politicians and Judiciary are trying their best to hide the truth from us, as usual they will no doubt succeed. I would love to know what has happened with regards our former Home Office Minister and the two Senior Police Officers concerned. Something there is not right either.
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Re the Met Report – I am led to believe this is an interim report on the forensic evidence as Lenny Harper is yet to be interviewed by them. Until this has occurred the Police should be saying it is an incomplete report.
Which brings me to the question as to why the information was released now without the report being complete?
If it is to distract from the Howard League report out tomorrow I think the powers that be have shot themselves in the foot. We now have ALL the foreign press back in the Island in time for the release whereas if the Police had waited for the complete report then less press would attend the Howard League briefing.
Oh, a thought – when does Frank retire? Before the completion of the Met report maybe????
Ahhh so thats why they made the statement now!!
See we can all be conspiracy theorists.
Have I missed any??
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nobody has mentioned wendy kinard yet! remember she bailed out a few weeks back , did she jump before she was pushed ? as she was head of home affairs when lenny harper was in charge. also what about the teeth they found, it was reported that they didnt come out naturally???
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and another thing ,the 65 teeth which they found is now being treated as if its something something that everyone would find under there floorboards.
maybe its the residence of the tooth fairy !
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We keep on hearing the word “cover up”. If the Metropolitan Police have been involved in a “cover up” then I think New Scotland Yard had better be called in now! If you know something that is factual which we don’t, now is the time to back up these claims. At the moment they sound like clutching at straws against the news that people did not want to hear.
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One side says cover-up and the other side says not. Probably the truth is somewhere in the middle: some of things alleged were fact and some were not. Probably there is some ‘cover-up’ but not all. Truth is usually more complex than the media presents.
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Sara – Why do you think the Met are squeaky clean? Jean Charles de Menezes anyone?
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A cover up by who I would like to ask? I think these so called ‘whistle blowers’ should now come up with some proof. Anybody can say “its a cover up” when their case has been blown to bits. Rabbit bones and pieces of coconut with a multi-million pound bill thrown in. Who are they kidding?
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Sara, you keep banging on about the Met.
The Met have not even interviewed Harper, they plan to next Monday. How on earth can you (or Warcup etc) say that the Met supports the ‘current’ police view?
Secondly, ACPO has reviewed the investigation 3 times and were happy with Harper and his team’s work and approach. Is the ‘current’ police view that ACPO was wrong as well?
The problem is that, whether it is true or not, people now do not know what or who to believe any more and this will have damaged the confidence of the victims considerably.
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They aren’t cellars they are voids under the floor as with many buildings, are you telling me that the so called perpetraitors lifted the carpets and floorboards in order to assault a child, I think not.
When his Mother was ill in the early 60s my husband spent 18 months at Haut de la Garenne he never saw any signs of abuse.
His opinion is that once all the press about Haut de la Garenne came out there was one person who jumped on the bandwagon and all the others followed probably.
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Lenny Harper never actually said murder had been committed. He actually asked for reviews on the investigation to be carried out (by impartial UK police officers) maybe suspecting that he would come under fire for trying to expose wrongdoing in a closed community which, for its own interests, would try and detract any bad publicity. Any recommendations from them were undertaken to ensure the investigation would proceed professionally. Just because homocide cannot actually be proved (maybe because of the unexplained lime pits -we may never know)this really should not be an excuse to forget the 160 people who have had the courage to report abuse – at the very least they are due their day in court.
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Without all the information regardsing Lenny Harper’s investigation, I don’t think it would be wise to comment on whether or not there was a ‘cover up’ re: Haut de La Garenne. What I do know is that from my experience as a police officer, investigating child abuse cases in the 1990s, the Children’s Service always did their best for the victims of child abuse. I do however believe there was a degree of obstruction from certain quarters, aided and abetted by the lack of leadership within the States Police and Crown Offices. Irrespective of any ‘faux pas’ in Mr. Harper’s investigation, there still needs to be a Public Inquiry, so we can all learn from past mistakes and try to ensure child protection in Jersey is of the highest standards.
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You all seem to be forgetting that we paid a hell of a lot of money here for Lenny Harper’s 15 minutes of fame.
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As a retired police officer from outside the island of Jersey I have been watching events with much interest.
This enquiry should have been carried out by an impartial Police Force from outside the island.
And what of the victims who have complained of sexual abuse, they seem to have been forgotten in all this and perhaps their complaints will also just be pushed under the carpet to save certain reputations.
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There is a very basic flaw in the article to which these postings relate; this being it is impossible to say that ‘There were no Murders’. All that any police investigation can say is that the items found at the site do not provide any or enough evidence that a murder or murders have taken place this in itself is a subjective judgment and one which is difficult to make.
On Lenny Harper’s role in this; I do remember him saying that the area was being ‘treated’ as a murder scene. Let’s face it this is a far better way to proceed than stamping around destroying any evidence that might exist if one behaves any differently.
I really can’t see what the problem is; so far we have a major investigation which probably quite literally left no stone unturned and from that ‘the powers that be’ deduce that there is no evidence of murder.
Is the cost not worth it in order to put any rumours to bed? Why do we now need a witch hunt against the senior officers who conducted the investigation? Is this being done merely to reinforce the findings? Is it not enough that there is no evidence without trying to pillory someone for allegedly over egging the pudding?
When it comes down to it what exactly, in a worst case scenario could it be proved that Power and Harper did wrong? Maybe there is there is some sort of police discipline offence that we don’t know about that they have been guilty of; mistaking the shell of a coconut for a human skull, being unable at a glance to date human bone fragments, not believing in the tooth fairy, causing embarrassment to the States of Jersey, damaging the tourist industry?
On a final note I understand that Lewis Carroll was going to write a book on Jersey politics however he thought it too far fetched to be believable so wrote Through the Looking Glass instead
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As the days go on, the more information being released about this, the more damming it is against Lenny Harper.
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It is a measure of a man and his country by how he acts in the face of adversity. Can Jersey really be respected as an Island with gravitas when one looks at how this whole debacle has been handled by those in senior political and legal positions?
It is the basis of a just and true legal system and the police in particular to investigate in full any possibility of a crime committed for the protection of a free society.
I think the real crime now is that a media frenzy has been instigated by the States about no murders and lack of evidence when there are over 160 individuals who have given evidence about the crimes they suffered which now seem to have been down graded as it is not murder. 1 or 2 reports they could probably discount but how can you discount 160 individuals who have to live with the terror of their memories day in day out. No murders but we don’t mind ruining a few hundred lives. At the end of the day if you are in a position of care then that is what you should be doing not abusing your position and the same can be said of those who hold positions of power take your responsibilities seriously and act as international statesmen. This Island won’t be attracting people of calibre to take positions on this Island the way Power has been treated (just read his resume in last weeks JEP). Plus I don’t think Harper will take this lying down and I am sure he will want to vindicate himself as does Power, quite rightly for just doing their jobs. The States have badly handled their media relations on this from the start and this will fuel the fire further not put it out and once the mud slinging stops will the 160+ victims have seen justice….? with deep regret I think not
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From the press conferences, I think the idea of vindication for Harper and Power is very optimistic.
I think it is all these chinese whispers and blown up cover up comments that are now proven to be wrong.
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I predicted this whitewash….in the name of Jersey’s preservation and all that visit her……
I love Jersey and I think it is unfortunate that any business should suffer on the back of the scandal…….I will come back to the lovely island for the sake of supporting tourism, but……….for those involved in this disgusting chapter, and I’m sure it transends the Channel Isles and the good people of Jersey will hopefully be able to weather this storm
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