From Mary Galante.
AFTER reading the article in the JEP dated 14 January titled ‘Young boys forced to live in filth’, I would like to raise the following issues.

Firstly, why was a family that was obviously in need of some guidance not given help? Their mother was obviously suffering from both a medical and a psychological condition. I assume doctors would have been aware of these problems and perhaps some sort of home help may have been all that was needed for this family.

As these children were reportedly subjected to long-term systematic abuse, may I ask where the family’s help and support was from Education? The Education (Jersey) Law 1999, articles 24 and 25, illustrate the options that the headteacher may offer a family and a child in need of help with matters such as cleanliness, clothing, etc. Why was there no such help available to this family?

Also, the point that stands out in the summing up is ‘long-term systematic neglect of your house’. Well, after looking through the numerous Jersey laws I have failed to come up with one that tells me what are the standards of cleanliness expected if you have children. So, may I ask ‘how clean is your house?’

If all these failures in the system had been tackled in the first place with a bit of common sense and support, and perhaps the donation of a bed (my daughter has a spare child’s bed which I would be happy to give to the parents) then maybe the children would still be at home.
58 Palace Close,
St Saviour.