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Saturday 6 July 2013

ESC - DUTY OF CARE or DUTY OF COVER-UP?

What's been happening to your child at school today?
 
Regular readers of the Bald Truth will recall me lifting the lid on the suppressed Education, Sport & Culture department story of a child reportedly being 'shot in the face' by a teacher at Le Rocquier School with a starting pistol. The Minister was, it must be said, very economic and - certainly to most people I talked to who approached me afterwards - rather defensive about the revelation.
 
Was this response just a concern at there being a somewhat  belated  police investigation that was now going on? Well, with my initial contact on the subject coming from direct within the school itself the Bald Truth Jersey now brings you that suppressed story as told to me DIRECT from the lips of the very concerned mother - let's call her Mrs X - of the injured pupil.

The events she describes it has to be said paint a truly mind-boggling and deeply worrying picture.
 
Now one must acknowledge straightaway - I was obviously not there in person myself. This is simply what she has described to me. Yet read through what she told me for yourself and then ask: should this disturbing incident be allowed to be quietly swept under the ESC carpet for fear of denting the all important Establishment Jersey image?  The answer just has to be a resounding 'no'.
 
Where might a teacher justifiably need a starting pistol within a school?
 
When I was first contacted by another third party concerned about the above incident I understandably assumed that what had transpired must have been some kind of freakish accident during a school athletics session; the gun going off accidentally and injuring a pupil by pure chance.
 
After all, not only having formerly been a professional educator and - in the dark and distant past - a pretty good athlete myself; even representing my home island at football I was pretty clear that starting pistols and athletics; perhaps some competitive swimming now and again are just about the only things within 'at school' activities that go together. Yet on being contacted by the injured pupil's mother my assumptions were to be proved well and truly wrong.

'I'm going to shoot Pupil X in the face...'

According to Mrs X's statement her son was not taking place in an outside session of athletics at all - he was simply participating in a game of 5-A-Side football within a sports hall! 

As football is obviously controlled by nothing more than a referee's whistle the first question has to be: what the hell was a potentially dangerous object like a starting pistol being utilised for? Indeed. what on earth would even possess a teacher to risk walking around within a school building carrying such a weapon when its use was so clearly wholly unnecessary?

Could this be  the result of a staggeringly misguided act of bravado; or horsing around? The fact is no matter how much one reflects upon the matter a rational explanation seems all but impossible to find. Yet if the mother of Pupil X is correct in what she says - and I can see no reason at all why a parent would wish to lie - this incident  then takes on an even more disturbing hue.

According to Mrs X the teacher in question (I do know the identity but will certainly not reveal this whilst an official inquiry is going on) actually raised the pistol and pointed it at her son who apparently initially had his back to the teacher. She then further states that the words: 'I'm going to shoot Pupil X in the face!' were spoken. A stupid, misguided joke surely? Yet as her teenage son then turned Mrs X alleges the gun was then fired.

This is what you do NOT do after an on premises incident...

 
 In the event of such an incident taking place - here a pupil's eyes being likely to be damaged by the discharge even if the pistol in question was not one of the older, more dangerous weapons involving projectiles - a qualified First Aider should be taking charge; at the same time emergency services should immediately be called; and the school Headmaster must be informed. they in turn would then have to notify the department. Last but not least the child's parent or guardian would have to be contacted.
 
All ESC staff should and would know this. Wouldn't they? I ask because what happened then according to Mrs X bares little resemblance to what I illustrate above. For according to the pupil's mother her son states that he was hurried off to the showers by the teacher who had wielded the pistol; here attempts were made to wash out and soothe his eyes.
 
From here, however, procedure appears to have gone decidedly pear-shaped.
  • The emergency services were never called
  • The parent - Mrs X - was not even contacted at any point - by anyone from ESC
  • The injured pupil was instead kept on at school to the end of the school day. This also being just ONE day before he was due to sit his first important and obviously stressful exam!

All pretty appalling if this is as Mrs X tells it. Yet it actually gets even worse. According to this ordinary mum the only way she finally came to learn of all of this was when her son returned home after school with badly bloodshot eyes! horrified she then had to take her son down to the hospital herself. And when she contacted the school there she states that there was allegedly further shocks in store.
 
  • The Le Rocquier Headmaster had apparently been told nothing of the event
  • The teacher involved had allegedly not reported the incident to anyone
  • The shooting incident had, it transpires, also actually taken place at only the SECOND session of the day!
 
Yet what had this teacher allegedly done following this truly mind-boggling incident?
 
According to what Mrs X claims; upon her son returning to class with the teacher following the attempt to wash out his eyes he allegedly stated to the class words to the effect of: 'No one must tell anyone about this - or I'll get the sack!' Can this really be an accurate account of what happened?
 
It seems almost too incredible and disturbing for words.
 
And this essentially leads us to why I decided to report what Mrs X has told me having contacted me after my question to the ESC Minister; lay out the story for you the wider public on the Bald Truth. For as if this lady had not had enough of a shock following this bizarre chain of events; even though a police investigation was eventually set in place, a short time ago she was to open correspondence from Le Rocquier - where she also has another child.
 
Reading this Mrs X was - understandably in my view - shocked to read that although the teacher involved was now suspended and a Police inquiry under way the man had already been allocated a class for the following September!
 
Insensitive? Negligent? Or as the mother of Pupil X feels: deeply worrying as to whether this investigation will be nothing more than the tick-box 'white wash' investigation that the Jersey Establishment does so well? And all, of course, going on behind closed doors.  it is due to these concerns that I state without apology - such incidents must not be allowed to be hushed up; kept from the public for fear of 'reputations' being damaged.
 
States Members, the public and most importantly the mother of Pupil X need answers and assurances. We also need to know that if anything less than 100% happy with what she is eventually told she - and parents generally MUST have a wholly independent authority that can be turned to. For  a 'Duty of Care' must mean just that.
 
Keep the Faith.
     




48 comments:

  1. You put the vast majority of politicians to shame. May your backbone for doing the right thing long stand firm. A shocking tale.

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  2. Shocking. But this being Jersey, equally not shocking at all.

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  3. Trevor could you post a link to the audio of you questioning the minister in the states chamber.

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    Replies
    1. http://thejerseyway.blogspot.co.uk/

      Someone else have to do the link but it initial questions available on TheJersey Way website.

      Delete
  4. Had to be Le Rocquier.

    Well it might have been a moment of madness from the teacher.

    Maybe the teacher is one of these Territorial Types, you know , the ones who like to where army clothes but failed the exam becasue they are too weird.

    Either way he will get Fired, excuse the pun.

    Expensive lesson.

    Lucky the kid has still got his sight, that's the main thing.

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  5. words fail me, totally appalling. With this posting, this cannot now be allowed to be whitewashed, but there again.......

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  6. So what did the headmaster do once he found out ? cover up for one of his staff, or start a proper enquiry regarding the safety of his children.

    Sound familiar by the way, trying not to be negative I hope he did not cover up if he did, then the Jersey public sector in charge of children has learned nothing.

    It sounds hard but the headmaster should be sacked, if he did not put the care of children first by following the proper guidelines for these type of incidents.

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  7. I agree with Anon about it not being shocking at all. It's a shame that none of the kids had a voice recorder mobile handy!

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  8. How is it that you seem to find out things, have people approach you, with stories none of our so called professional media carry? People either have a whole lot of trust in you regarding your courage to stand up where others might not. Or else you would make a bloody good investigative journalist. Perhaps you and a few of the other lowly bloggers should set up a newspaper?

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  9. Trevor.

    Nothing in this episode surprises me and is pretty march par for the course when it comes to the Education Department. It's policy, in my opinion, is to, first and foremost, protect its image and staff over the safety, wellbeing of students at any cost.

    The biggest problem is that complaints against schools/school teachers are (not) dealt with by the Education Department who has a vested interest in covering it up. It's not the school that would/could be sued, it the Education Department! There needs to be an outside the island independent authority to deal with complaints against schools/teachers who don't have a vested interest in cover-up...........For the sake of the children and parents.

    The current CEO at Education, MARIO LUNDY has been named in open court, national press and parts of the local State Media as "The most violent and cruel" of alleged abusers yet remains in situ. How can parents/children have any confidence in the Department with this man at the helm?

    I hope the child and his parents have not been too traumatised by the alleged shooting incident or by the way it has(n't) been dealt with; the latter can be the MOST traumatic of all.

    As for the teacher, allegedly, "had already been allocated a class for the following September!" My only surprise is that the teacher hasn't been promoted!

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  10. The more you read the more you come to conclude that since ministrial government happened we nearly always have the wrong people at the top. This should have been made public so that parents would not have to rely on rumour.

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    1. I disagree. Jersey has often had the wrong people at the top, even before Ministerial government. Minister, committee, whatever. It makes no difference. We have an establishment who are an innate bunch of cover up merchants, who practice secrecy for a living.

      Delete
  11. Just a message for Paul Leatherbrow and all other decent people. having made a rare excursion on to the loacal Pravda website as they were running a comment section on a couple of stories I am involved - note NOT the secret court case!

    I just want to tell all that the Pravda are once again - like the BBC Jersey allowing Jon the Troll not just to post under his sad, multi fake avatars, but that they have been allowing him to post with stolen identities.

    In this case pretending to be Paul L expressing views that he never would put forward. Funnily enough the Pravda won't publish my post highlighting this. Perhaps someone is too busy inventing fake letters from 'people' attacking progressives?

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  12. Perhaps it is the long-over-due summer arriving? But just as I found myself offering to bury the hatchet with a young Tory and meet up to discus any common political ground...


    This huge step for mankind is topped - resident Jersey cyber goon, Jon Haywire has proposed that he wants to 'marry me!'

    Now hang on, Jonnie - I had heard your missus was only there out of convenience but I don't think I can fill the void when she departs.

    Indeed, I know you have a crush on me not to mention Stuart Syvret, lenny Harper etc but I think you are far better off marrying that one you're always ranting about. What's her name again? Oh Stella! Sounds like a really bubbly kind of a girl.

    Meanwhile, a couple of very good questions in for next week on taxpayers' money being used for secret court cases.

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  13. Sorry to burst your bubble Trevor, but it's me that he loves, he even sent me a text TELLING ME SO

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  14. Thanks for the information Deputy Pitman.

    What a sad sad man, it is so weird that he writes using other peoples names.

    What can one say ? Why do something like that ? What universe must he reside in.

    Who is Paul L. or PL certainly not myself, nor do I subscribe to Facebook or Twitter, I have no access to those sites.

    The leading Jersey blogs are getting more powerful weekly, helped by the insipid weak professional local media. I suggest no advertising oxygen by naming this sad individual.

    Just keep up the good work guys, and keep the factual information coming, sorry he is falling in love with you, thats a burden you really don't need, it's probably hero worship.

    Paul Letherbarrow.

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    1. Gary Cummins-Haworth-Pratt9 July 2013 at 10:54:00 BST

      I agree Paul the progressive blogs are getting ever more widely read and so accordingly powerful.

      I don't men the inane, hate-filled garbage that lunatics like Jon "writes" of course. people really do see such bile as nothing more than the workings of a damaged and bitter mind.

      This rise can only continue as more and more people become aware to the dumbed down service the MSM provide. Even more so the fact that they try to manipulate public opinion with propaganda and even downright lies.

      Delete
  15. If the headmaster knew and covered up, he should be sacked, its that simple, for the following reasons.

    1) As the Courts well know, best to sometimes set a heavy fine/sentence as a deterrent, send out a message, such as we will not tolerate drug dealers etc.. So sacking a school-head puts all other headmasters on notice.

    2) If a school-head can get the sack, they should in turn ensure their staff also do the right thing, if they do not, sack them as an example to others, such as we will not tolerate bad teachers.

    By allowing people to effectively get away with it, would be like the Court, we should be sending a drug dealer to jail, finding the person not guilty.

    I would also suggest that anyone found guilty of trying to undermine, intimidate a whistle-blower, should be sacked under gross misconduct.

    The tide has to turn, if a person leaving a job gets a large pay-off for no GOOD reason, then investigate those who authorised it, as their motive may well be the same as those who threaten whistle-blowers.

    Start a whistle-blower hotline, start with all school teachers, let them tell of any problems.

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  16. Sorry to digress Trevor, but what's going on with the Bailhache business?

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    1. Do not fear - Bailhache-gate will not be allowed to become buried. The Establishment advice to him has been to ignore it in the best elitist tradition.

      He is still, so my Ministerial Mole tells me, considering a personal statement next week. I hope he makes one.

      A very interesting meeting to do with all of this is in the making for later this week. And who knows - PPC may still have to actually do something other than respond to childish Ian Gorst complaints against lefties...

      Delete
  17. Dear Deputy,

    Your readers may be interested in reading the following story concerning the jail sentence for a 'death threat' internet troll.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-22839359#

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  18. DEAR TREVOR AND SHONA
    Do you not think that now we have armed and dangerous police on the streets of jersey that the public
    should arm them self,s for there own good/

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  19. Trolls who make death threats should be jailed and would be in any respectable country but this is Jersey.They are sick inadequates whose destiny is to be sad and alone once partners and kiddies get wise to their evil bullying.

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  20. I recently read an interesting article in the Guernsey Press on their 200yr old celebration paper. There was one piece on the German occupation, and how the GP was only allowed to print stuff cleared by the Germans, and the front page had to be the German story as to what was happening rather than reality, thankfully liberation allowed the GP to get back to reporting the truth - However, I understand that many in Jersey believe the Germans must still be in control of the JEP!

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  21. is the minister going to be making a statement on this matter soon do we know?

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  22. Can you please keep up the pressure on the Bailhachegate front? This very arrogant man should not get away with such contempt for both the public and his colleagues.

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  23. Cross posting from Rico's blog about Geoffrey Nice (an interesting post in itself) on 19 May 2013

    I stumbled upon the judgement in Peter Michel's appeal, which criticised Mr Nice. Para 19 made me laugh out loud:

    "Jurats do not necessarily have a legal qualification, but are usually individuals with a known history of sound judgment and integrity, which has been consistently demonstrated throughout a lengthy professional, business or civic life"

    ROFL, that's a classic

    http://www.jcpc.gov.uk/decided-cases/docs/JCPC_2009_0095_Judgment.pdf

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  24. Coming soon - some news guaranteed to even make sponging, drunken trolls get up out of bed! Well, for a while at least...

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  25. Troll Elbow
    A medical variant of the condition known as 'tennis elbow' primarily affecting the dominant arm of trolls who don't play tennis.

    Jon: What's going on Doc? I can barely bend my right elbow.
    Doctor: It's obviously a severe case of troll elbow.
    Jon: I am not a troll, you are.
    Doctor: Do you stay up late, alone with a computer?
    Jon: Uhh Maybe
    Doctor: Jon, sorry to tell you but it looks like you've got a severe case of troll elbow.
    Unplug the computer for two weeks and you'll be fine.

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  26. So the news today is that Lucy Panton of the NOTW who dined with Lenny Harper has been charged with corruption.
    That just about sums up that shit report you wrote.

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    1. Well maybe in the head of a drunken Troll. But I think you'll find that our Scrutiny panel wrote our report ourselves - not with any import by a journalist. It was based on evidence.

      Odd even for you though that you now strive to blame Lenny Harper for something that an independent journalist may have done wrong? What have you got to hide?

      Still, shouldn't you get back to your wrecking, Jonnie? 192 fake comments full of hate and stupidity surely don't just write themselves do they?

      Delete
    2. It's pretty clear that the corruption Lucy Panton was involved in consisted of her paying police and prison officers for info to uncover crime and (greater) corruption.

      She was not being paid to cover up crime and corruption. Big difference!

      Delete
  27. I refuse to buy the filthy rag.
    Who is "Former reporter charged with corruption" ?

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  28. Definitely grounds for sacking the waiter who served the prawn cocktail.

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  29. You know it really shows just how desperate some people over here still are to try and undermine the coming Committee of Inquiry into the decades of abuse covered up by our Establishment.

    I thought we had gone past political non-entities like Jimmy Perchard, Ben Shenton and Sean Power falsely trying to smear Lenny Harper's name by striving to link him with the odious actions of some UK journalists. Note none of these three minded leaks to David Rose of course!

    Yet even with Perchard and Shenton having bottled seeking re-election due to their appalling records in the States it seems still this mindset lingers. Why would the Jersey Evening Pravda make such a big thing of this news?

    I mean their editor and owners are very quiet on their seeking to get away with 'winning' a defamation case when everyone knows they were allowed a mate of one of their directors to sit and decide on 'evidence' and 'fact'! A man who, of course, just happens to also be a proven 'look-the-other-way' merchant on evidence against a paedophile friend and colleague.

    You might just have thought that would be more of a story? then again - this is Establishment Jersey...

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    1. Trevor.

      I am surprised that anybody still takes the disgraced Jersey Evening Post seriously any more. Not having read the article, as I don't purchase the paper for moral and ethical reasons, but I'm given to understand that it is the usual garbage trying to discredit the cop (Lenny Harper) who blew the lid off of Jersey's dirty secret of a paedophiles playground.

      I am told that the article states that there is NO evidence to suggest any wrong doing/leaking of information, paid or otherwise by Mr. Harper.

      There is NO mention that there IS AMPLE EVIDENCE leading to the door of Mick Gradwell as myself and Rico Sorda published HERE to include an exclusive interview with Mr. Harper.

      No doubt the disgraced Jersey Evening Post neglected to say that NOTHING published in the NOTW has been disproven! The fact that bones that were fresh and fleshed when they were burnt and buried up at Haut de la Garenne, as well as the 65 children's teeth and numerous other bones that were unearthed up their suggests that the NOTW article is closer to the truth than a (Tooth) Fairy tale given to us by Gradwell and the State Media.

      Perchard, Shenton and Power that you mention were also discussed in an exclusive interview with Mr. Harper HERE.

      Your readers will note that the two links I have provided contain HARD EVIDENCE of leaks to at least one so-called "journalist" David Rose. Those leaks look to have come from Mick Gradwell.

      If it's evidence readers are looking for, they'll find it on the Blogs. If it's a smear campaign backed up (by their own admission) with no evidence then it's the disgraced Jersey Evening Post they'll need to read.

      Delete
    2. Hi VFC & Trevor,

      You know, it seems to me that the Blogs are the modern equivalent of the secret new sheets and illicit radios people irked their live for in the Occupation. Ironic to think the BBC was considered worth it!

      Delete
  30. So Lucy Panton is being charged, and Matt Tapp and Mick Gradwell have got away with it....

    Can pigs fly?!

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  31. Wasn't Murdoch recorded backing any reporters charged?

    If so perhaps someone should tweet him ILM naming the person who did leak to journalist.

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  32. New post will be up before 6pm tomorrow.

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  33. Deputy Trevor Pitman ‏@BaldTruthJersey 21h
    As we near the debate that may set the stage for turning Jersey into a legal dictatorship I will have a new post up tomorrow before 6pm............................WAITING!

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    1. Sorry anonymous.

      Unfortunately, earlier this afternoon I was called to my mum due to her being taken ill. As regular readers know already she is sadly suffering with bone cancer, and started some new drugs two days ago.

      Thus I probably don't have to say that at 82 and living alone she comes first for me. I have just got back home so will have something up tonight reference next week's debate.

      The real post of interest, however, will be up on Monday as it will relate to a press release. A press release at that even sure to thrill a drunken troll!

      Delete
  34. Sorry to read this about your Mum - I hope the new drug helps her.

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  35. I almost Averty-d the sausage of abuse. Here is the SHARP REPORT'S MISSING PAGE 20 courtesy of some....honourable people :)

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  36. Interesting that I have had teachers and students contacting me on this in full support of my raising the issue.

    This being due to concerns they express as to how the incident was dealt with and how the pupil/mother was treated.

    Also now had a single contact strongly disagreeing with this being raised.

    I can respect both views but do have to say that the latter made no mention of the concern felt from within the family somewhat odd. Surely it is the child and the protection of children's welfare that must come first?

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