Attorney-General William Bailhache

DECISIONS on whether to prosecute the last 12 suspects in the historical child abuse inquiry will be made by September.

Attorney General William Bailhache told the States yesterday that decisions would be made on all of the remaining files within the next six weeks.

His statement follows last week’s announcement that 11 prosecution files had been dropped because there was not enough evidence to yield convictions.

Mr Bailhache – who is soon to be appointed Deputy Bailiff – told the States that the decisions to drop the 11 cases had been made by the Crown Advocate appointed to handle the prosecutions, and had been reviewed by another senior Law Officer, an independent London Barrister, and himself.

And he added that the police had backed the decisions not to take the cases to court.

There are around 12 files left, some of which are with the Law Officers, and some of which are still in the hands of the police.

• The statement in full