LENNY Harper still insists that the remains of children were found at Haut de la Garenne.
Despite the officers now in charge of the inquiry announcing that there were no murders, no bodies hidden or burnt there and that the majority of bones tested were animal, former deputy police chief Mr Harper still claims that he told the truth.
Days after some of the police statements released during the historical child abuse inquiry were described as inaccurate, Mr Harper said in an interview with the JEP that bones found there had been shown during UK tests to have been burnt. ‘There is no doubt that there were the remains of children within that cellar. How and when they died is another matter,’ he said.
Mr Harper said that he had not misled the Jersey public about the investigation. ‘Haut de la Garenne was the scene of a potential homicide. I will be delighted if the evidence shows that there was no homicide there. I do not believe that is necessarily the case. There is not enough evidence to prove homicide and we need to act on evidence,’ Mr Harper said.
At a press conference this week, deputy police chief David Warcup said that no child murders took place at Haut de la Garenne and no bodies had been hidden or burnt there. Mr Harper has also claimed that when he took Chief Minister Frank Walker and his wife around the former children’s home on 31 March he warned him that they might never have enough evidence for a homicide inquiry.
‘Senator Walker said that might not be a bad outcome, but that he had every confidence that I would do what I had to do,’ Mr Harper said. Asked to comment, Senator Walker said that at the end of that tour he had been left in no doubt by Mr Harper that he believed that the most awful crimes had taken place at Haut de la Garenne.
However, Senator Walker said that he did not want to engage in a media discussion with Mr Harper.
‘I believe all that matters now is the real evidence,’ he said. Mr Harper reacted to comments which he believed had been made this week by Home Affairs Minister Andrew Lewis that not all the information had been passed to him.
Mr Harper said this was ‘nonsense’, as the night before he left the Island Deputy Lewis had told him he had done a brilliant job despite ‘the nonsense from the politicians – particularly the Chief Minister’. However, Deputy Lewis said that he had not criticised Mr Harper for withholding information – in fact Mr Harper had always given him the answers to questions he asked.
‘The night before he left the Island I empathised with Mr Harper on how difficult the child abuse investigation had been – particularly the pressure which the criticism from some politicians had put on him which could have potentially damaged the outcome of successful prosecutions,’ he said.
Mr Lewis said, though, that he had not named the Chief Minister in the conversation, and his reason for not standing again for election was to devote more time to his business.
• Mr Harper is the subject of the Saturday Interview in today’s Jersey Evening Post
Article posted on 15th November, 2008 - 10.00am
15 Article Comments
At least somebody had the decency to put their own neck on the line for some kind of justice, at the end of the day someone does not come into a position of that much authority for no reason.With the way most enquiries are handled over here, most of the time our politicians and dictators are only thinking about Jersey from a financial aspect and a judicial aspect and their own pockets (or sorry taxpayers money) this only ever reflects just how much of a farce there is,our systems flaws and incosistencies which will, in time, actually show the rest of the world how anal this Whoville existence we call Jersey actually is!!Wake up!!
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please please please, get someone independant over to Jersey and sort this all out WITHOUT ANY interference from any States members. This is the only way to go. It all seems a cover-up. Things are certainly not plain and simple. Someone knows something and people are running scared hence Mr Harper being blamed for things. What a shame he had to retire. Couldn’t the public ask him to come back?
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good on mr harper, he has the tenacity to stand his ground, and good luck to mr power. It does seem to push the boundries of credibility to believe that two officers of such experience and ability would come off the rails so fundamentally.
the press conference by the new police last week reminded me of tony blair and george bush trying to convince the world of the existence of WMD’s just before embarking on the ivasion of iraq. Say what we all want to hear and then get on with it, just don’t let the truth get in the way. Oh, and for good measure lets get personal about the previous officers in charge.
whilst syvret aparently seems intent on “shafting jersey internationally”, so the states, the police, and the judiciary seem happy to shaft us locally.
there is a huge amount at stake … just look at the plans for the finance industry. Jersey is being pulled towards a global pole position in this market, and nothing – including a child murder investigation – can get in the way by besmirching our international reputation. The future for this island seems to be a euro hongkong … a towering financial powerhouse … just don’t get in the way of realising that ambition.
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Well said Vicki.
A sharing of wealth to look after the poor, the deprived and the children. And a freedom of information act to ensure it is done.
Surely enough to frighten the wits out of the oligarchy.
Time also to properly define the status of this overprivileged crown dependency. What a convenient constitutional fudge. It might not be so important if eg UK standards were implemented all round. Though even these leave room for improvement in some areas.
I remember interviewing a French lady, married to a Jersey man, over forty years ago. When it came to describing the people of Jersay all she could say was: “Ils sont Jersiais”. Let’s hope this turns out to be a compliment.
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Put their neck on the line and at who’s expense? I was absolutely appalled when I watched the press conference, is that really money well spent?
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Sara,
Milk teeth, with roots, which couldn’t have fallen out before death? Natural?
Do you suggest that in Jersey we have, or had, some perverted mind that removed and collect
the teeth of dead children so that the macabre collection could be buried? Get real.
Sara, this macabre collection, with or without, all the other allegations, must raise some very disturbing questions.
Mr Harper took a serious look at some very disturbing evidence. Sara, you may be somebody who prefers to hide from the unpleasant side of life casting the disadvantage to the winds of life, but Mr Harper did not!
The cost of the investigation is another matter; an administrative matter. For pity sake don’t muddle justice with pound notes.
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I was born in Jersey, but now live in England. I am almost embarrassed to say I was born in Jersey as people think it is now some kind of Hicksville with no ability to speak the truth. This should not be conscientious – soemone was either murdered or they were not!!!! How hard can it be to tell the difference??? If it was not so tragic it would be laugable. Even Bergerac would not have had a plot that seems so ridiculous!!!!
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Warcup and the other bloke should hang their heads in shame. How dare they bow to all this spin. What would Lenny hope to gain from spinning? Nothing!
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Again I say it – justice costs money Sara and I’d rather have my tax money going towards finding the truth than paying for another tourist attraction.
Get over the price and stop being suckered in by the political policemen who for years have ignored children coming forward about abuse using the “lack of evidence” excuse.
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The only person that should be holding one’s head in shame now is Lenny Harper. Sorry to disagree with you Sara!
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Sorry Sara (10), but I totally disagree with you. LH has absolutely no reason to hang his head in shame. The truth will come out in the end!
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The police would not make such a press conference and assertion of inaccurate information without checking the facts first. Something Lenny Harper obviously failed to do.
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So, was it coconut or animal? The whole affair is tainted from start to finish. We will probably never know the truth
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Does this throw doubts on how other investigations were handled. I think it does !!
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I think it does put doubt into other cases that Lenny Harper has been dealing with. From his media speeches you could almost accuse him of being Judge and Jury. It is a shame that a man like this was put in charge of such a sensitive enquiry.
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