If my experience of giving a first session of evidence to lawyers from the Committee of Inquiry's legal team and events taking place during this week's question time in the States confirmed one key thing for me it really was that my decision to put the Bald Truth blog into cold storage - quite possibly even for good - and focus on opportunities at a wholly different, international level not yet undertaken by anyone really must be the right one.
Yes, okay I acknowledge the key Jersey political blogs are now far, far bigger and more widely read than they were four or five years ago. But I also believe something new just has to be done to try and help them and justice along. And it now seems the opportunity is mine to try and do this...
But let's take a good, hard look back at the truly shocking facts unveiled in yesterday's States Sitting with a question put to the Health Minister.
Yes, okay I acknowledge the key Jersey political blogs are now far, far bigger and more widely read than they were four or five years ago. But I also believe something new just has to be done to try and help them and justice along. And it now seems the opportunity is mine to try and do this...
But let's take a good, hard look back at the truly shocking facts unveiled in yesterday's States Sitting with a question put to the Health Minister.
Here the man who is currently the best Jersey politician by a country mile, Deputy Mike Higgins was trying once again to get some 'bald truth' out of Jersey's Health Minister. This personage is one Trinity Deputy, Anne Pryke should you be one of the apparent Island majority who have absolutely no idea who this very 'senior politician' in charge of the costliest and most essential department is.
Deputy Higgins was asking Pryke about a child protection case to which I have alluded previously and one which I had subsequently passed on to him upon my leaving the States earlier this year. Indeed, a case which is so shocking that if the mainstream (State) media only reported it (they won't of course - dog poo, too many rocks on the beach and needing to keep their Establishment chums looking good for the election are far more important!) said facts really should have all good parents/professionals rioting out on our streets - let alone finally voting our corrupt Establishment Party out of power.
Not just hearsay - a six hour long colour video!
Deputy Higgins was asking Pryke about a child protection case to which I have alluded previously and one which I had subsequently passed on to him upon my leaving the States earlier this year. Indeed, a case which is so shocking that if the mainstream (State) media only reported it (they won't of course - dog poo, too many rocks on the beach and needing to keep their Establishment chums looking good for the election are far more important!) said facts really should have all good parents/professionals rioting out on our streets - let alone finally voting our corrupt Establishment Party out of power.
Not just hearsay - a six hour long colour video!
Now I have to be very careful here because having done so much painstaking work with the rightly concerned complainant in the hope of securing justice and accountability I really cannot say all that I would like to: protecting the identity of the children involved being absolutely paramount as readers will understand. Suffice to say that what came out as a consequence of Deputy Higgins' questioning of the Health Minister is simply jaw-dropping even outlined in the sketchiest of fashions. In fact truth be told it is actually terrifying.
You see according to an individual Deputy Higgins described as the Head of Children's Services it can now be reported here that; apparently being presented with a SIX HOUR video - not to mention SELECTED STILLS - showing a couple of adults choosing to initiate oral sex where a young toddler is not only present but is physically being held so close to 'the action' by the male and in such a fashion as to render the child what most right-minded people (I believe) would surely view as a deliberate prop or possibly even sexual stimulant does NOT immediately set child protection alarm bells ringing at the top of the Island's Health & Social Services Department!
Can this really be true?
Well, yes I'm afraid it can because though Health Minister Pryke was doing her usual best to waffle, time waste and plead ignorance to avoid giving an answer that might come back to haunt her I can confirm here that Deputy Pryke herself sat through a FOUR HOUR meeting at the Hospital which I had arranged on behalf of the complainant where all of this was spelt out for her in most graphic detail.
A meeting I should point out where the Minister was not only able to again see said stills and hear first hand of the complainant's and my own concerns - but to which she was also accompanied by two very senior members of her own Health team very familiar with the details of the case. These being Mr Pointon and Mr Jouault. Hopefully, of course, unless things are even more lax at Health than even I and Deputy Higgins already believe this meeting surely should be officially minuted: and these facts can thus be confirmed?
One thing is for certain: I am happy to testify to the above wherever necessary.
For let us be quite clear: this was not a case of a naïve and immature young couple forced by hard economic circumstance to risk initiating intimacy in cramped, one room accommodation. This activity; its manner and location was a matter of evidenced conscious choice.
The consequence of both Health and Police 'professionals' refusing to admit that they were wrong and thus be held accountable was that highly damaging decisions were subsequently made in Jersey's courts.All I really need to say for now I believe to demonstrate once again that whilst most of the time servers and wannabes masquerading as States Members don't want to know Jersey's children are as vulnerable now as ever they were.
I thus repeat nothing - but NOTHING - has been learnt since Haut de la Garenne. And until professionals, Ministers, Judges, Attorney Generals or whoever who are responsible for such failings are finally held to account nothing - but NOTHING - will ever change. Shoot the messenger once again if you like but the truth of what I say - and what Deputy Higgins reported yesterday - is absolute.
Oh yes...and just in case any reader is still in any doubt on this one: the senior police officer charged with examining a copy of the video had apparently just passed it on to a more junior colleague. A junior colleague who we must also surmise either has judgment as flawed as those ,professionals' up at Health; or who simply just got bored and didn't watch it all the way through to the important bits. You see the police report didn't think what was revealed was a child protection concern either....
Could you make it up? Probably not. But this I'm afraid is Jersey in the 21st Century.
Keep the Faith
As for me - having already given several hours of evidence on a wide variety of material I have a second session of evidence to give the Committee of Inquiry very soon. Then, unless the Birts and Bailhaches of this world manipulate things to somehow prevent it, I have further promised that I am happy - and indeed wish - to then give my evidence and be questioned on all and any of it in public.
But once this is completed I have no shame in saying I really do have to finally take a step back to pursue the opportunities arising to change things via routes and mediums not yet tried. The battle will go on as before - just on a different battlefield so to speak. I'm actually really looking forward to it no matter where its course may take me!
Finally, I thus wish all of those wronged and abused - and likewise those who have bravely fought so hard for them - strength and the very best of luck. Remember: if you are reading this and you don't do justice - in Neo-Feudal Jersey 'justice' will certainly do you....
Take care
Trevor
You see according to an individual Deputy Higgins described as the Head of Children's Services it can now be reported here that; apparently being presented with a SIX HOUR video - not to mention SELECTED STILLS - showing a couple of adults choosing to initiate oral sex where a young toddler is not only present but is physically being held so close to 'the action' by the male and in such a fashion as to render the child what most right-minded people (I believe) would surely view as a deliberate prop or possibly even sexual stimulant does NOT immediately set child protection alarm bells ringing at the top of the Island's Health & Social Services Department!
Can this really be true?
Well, yes I'm afraid it can because though Health Minister Pryke was doing her usual best to waffle, time waste and plead ignorance to avoid giving an answer that might come back to haunt her I can confirm here that Deputy Pryke herself sat through a FOUR HOUR meeting at the Hospital which I had arranged on behalf of the complainant where all of this was spelt out for her in most graphic detail.
A meeting I should point out where the Minister was not only able to again see said stills and hear first hand of the complainant's and my own concerns - but to which she was also accompanied by two very senior members of her own Health team very familiar with the details of the case. These being Mr Pointon and Mr Jouault. Hopefully, of course, unless things are even more lax at Health than even I and Deputy Higgins already believe this meeting surely should be officially minuted: and these facts can thus be confirmed?
One thing is for certain: I am happy to testify to the above wherever necessary.
For let us be quite clear: this was not a case of a naïve and immature young couple forced by hard economic circumstance to risk initiating intimacy in cramped, one room accommodation. This activity; its manner and location was a matter of evidenced conscious choice.
The consequence of both Health and Police 'professionals' refusing to admit that they were wrong and thus be held accountable was that highly damaging decisions were subsequently made in Jersey's courts.All I really need to say for now I believe to demonstrate once again that whilst most of the time servers and wannabes masquerading as States Members don't want to know Jersey's children are as vulnerable now as ever they were.
I thus repeat nothing - but NOTHING - has been learnt since Haut de la Garenne. And until professionals, Ministers, Judges, Attorney Generals or whoever who are responsible for such failings are finally held to account nothing - but NOTHING - will ever change. Shoot the messenger once again if you like but the truth of what I say - and what Deputy Higgins reported yesterday - is absolute.
Oh yes...and just in case any reader is still in any doubt on this one: the senior police officer charged with examining a copy of the video had apparently just passed it on to a more junior colleague. A junior colleague who we must also surmise either has judgment as flawed as those ,professionals' up at Health; or who simply just got bored and didn't watch it all the way through to the important bits. You see the police report didn't think what was revealed was a child protection concern either....
Could you make it up? Probably not. But this I'm afraid is Jersey in the 21st Century.
Keep the Faith
As for me - having already given several hours of evidence on a wide variety of material I have a second session of evidence to give the Committee of Inquiry very soon. Then, unless the Birts and Bailhaches of this world manipulate things to somehow prevent it, I have further promised that I am happy - and indeed wish - to then give my evidence and be questioned on all and any of it in public.
But once this is completed I have no shame in saying I really do have to finally take a step back to pursue the opportunities arising to change things via routes and mediums not yet tried. The battle will go on as before - just on a different battlefield so to speak. I'm actually really looking forward to it no matter where its course may take me!
Finally, I thus wish all of those wronged and abused - and likewise those who have bravely fought so hard for them - strength and the very best of luck. Remember: if you are reading this and you don't do justice - in Neo-Feudal Jersey 'justice' will certainly do you....
Take care
Trevor
