Wednesday 29 October 2014

Jersey's Dean----- An Unhappy Anniversary.

A year has passed since my infamous meeting with Dame Heather Steel and the publishing of my blog “The truth, the whole truth or nothing but a whitewash?

That blog reported on my meeting with Dame Heather which led me to believe that her proposed report would be a whitewash. The Blog can be read HERE and gives a useful background to the sorry saga which 18 months ago was described as a mess but unfortunately has now become an even bigger, financial and embarrassing mess.

A year ago I was promised a transcript of the meeting but despite several requests to Dame Heather and Bishop Dakin it has not, and because of Dame Heather’s incriminating comments is unlikely to be given to me.

A year ago Dame Heather told me that her report was almost complete. However we know that her final version was not submitted to Bishop Dakin until last May. One is therefore entitled to ask where is it and why has no public explanation been given for the delay in publication.  

It is no secret that if the report had been compiled by a truly independent and competent person it would contain details of incompetence by a number of senior clergy members and of collusion to dispose of the victim. Therefore it’s not surprising that the report has not been circulated. 

We are also nearing the 6th anniversary of the spurious suspension of Jersey’s former Police Chief Graham Power.

If the panel of the Committee of Inquiry into Jersey’s historical child abuse adheres to its Terms of Reference it will soon be calling witnesses and hopefully the truth into the suspension will be revealed and the real reason and those responsible for it will be disclosed.

There are similarities relating to the suspension of Jersey’s Dean and the former Police Chief, however unlike the Dean who had friends in high places; the police chief was in effect dismissed by stealth.

Like Winchester a review into the circumstances of the suspension was commissioned and parts of the report were leaked but the final outcome was never revealed. It was a costly affair and like Winchester those involved in instigating the review did not emerge with any credit which soon after led me to make the following comment;

“The Minister and Minister for Home Affairs have emerged from this saga with no disciplinary case, no chief officer, a pending report from a QC likely to be critical of the Island’s Government, and a bill for over a million pounds. They are not well placed to criticise the actions of others.”

The same could be said of the Archbishop and Bishop, what have they achieved and at what cost? However I suppose one thing that could be said of their appointment of Dame Heather was that it turned out to be a precursor to the equally unwise appointments of Baroness Butler-Sloss and Fiona Woolf to head other reviews.

If these people can’t remember who their relations and friends are or who they socialise with. then how can they possibly be expected to remember the faceless victims and what they have to say. 

The Gladwin and Steel Reviews have been expensive and divisive affairs and are yet unpublished. It might be helpful not let the birthday candles burn out until they have set fire to both Reports so their ashes may join those of the hundreds of thousands of pounds already gone up in smoke in paying for what has become a futile and embarrassing farce.

25 comments:

  1. A sad anniversary indeed.

    Let's hope these arrogant, and apparently unaccountable, people get their comeuppance within out lifetime and the sooner the better.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What is galling is that in a couple of week’s time that will be pontificating on peace and reconciliation. Perhaps if they practiced what they preach more people would take notice of them.

      Delete
  2. I think HG is doing something

    ReplyDelete
  3. You must be the only person in Jersey even interested in the stupid story.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Not quite right because you must have been interested to have read it in the first place.

      Delete
    2. I'm more interested in this story

      Steve Lewis.

      Delete
    3. This story is just as interesting.

      Julie Hanning.

      Delete
  4. Bob, send me some cake. And the guys are right, the story got boring, the church spectacularly shafted themselves. HG

    ReplyDelete
  5. Well Bob, I'm interested in this story and I know lots of others who are too so ignore that troll. What gets me almost as much as the shoddy treatment of HG and Graham is the blatantly un-empathetic stance adopted by so many people in Jersey. It says alot about this island mentality. Shallow, narrow and nasty. Good and innocent people loose out while morally devoid people and institutions seem to dominate the agenda. Thankfully we now have citizens media. Keep up the great work and thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The easiest way for the guilty to get away with things is for the public to say they are bored.

      Delete
  6. Citizens media is the best thing to have happened to Jersey where the truth is able to get out that would ordinarily been covered up by the state media. Trolls are outed for being the cowardly bullies of women they are which the BBC cover up.

    All in all a good post Bob and keep up the good work.

    Sue Sharrock Young.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your kind remarks. Most of the truth is out there, the problems is making people accountable for their actions.

      Delete
    2. I agree with Sue who shares the same middle name as me. Keep up the good work Bob.

      Hilary Sharrock Brelades.

      Delete
    3. Keep up the great work Bob.

      James Sharrock Le Gallais.

      Delete
  7. Bob.
    When you say the COI will soon be looking into the suspension of Graham Power. How soon is soon? Do you know?

    ReplyDelete
  8. I understand that COI is working its way through the abuse witnesses and will move onto other issues like Operation Rectangle and the suspension. Hard to say how long we shall have to wait.

    ReplyDelete
  9. www.exaronews.com/articles/5383/clergy-to-be-given-training-on-safeguarding-children-in-coe

    UK canon law to be RE-WRITTEN to safeguard children etc

    Bishops to be made RESPONSIBLE

    Training to be given

    Committees and churchwarden appointments etc to be kept free of suspects

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SO, While the UK appears to be moving in the right direction on ecclesiastical abuse; Jersey has recently re-written Canon law to protect the clergy from external oversight

      Dean Bob Key's "get out of jail free" card

      Delete
    2. The present Canon Law took years to be re-written, did not contain the usual statement to say that it was Human Right compliant and I doubt whether there will be too much haste in drafting amendments.

      Delete
  10. www.exaronews.com/articles/5389/justin-welby-admits-child-abuse-has-been-rampant-within-coe

    Well done Archbishop Welby for moving in the right direction. A problem cannot be rectified until it's size and nature is recognised.

    But the write up shows how Middle-England also suffers the Middle-Jersey disease of "I'm alright Jack"
    -It is brought into sharper focus with the historic moral failure of faith/Christian groups but this tunnel-vision/herd-instinct is a more widespread human nature failing, especially amongst 'polite society' which would rather ignore embarrassing problems and not rock the boat. Even if this means ignoring & sidelining the victims & families and driving them into isolation, depression, breakdown, and contemplation of suicide as happened to the mother of three C of E groomed boys when she was fobbed off by the Church.
    "Another two fingered salute from Lamberth Palace", same as 11 years before .......until she contacted Exaro News and got a far more helpful response.


    It is foolish to assume that any community is immune from the activities of abusers
    http://freespeechoffshore.nl/stuartsyvretblog/ecclesiastical-abuse/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It seems that the CoE has to be shamed by third parties before it takes action.

      Delete
  11. Where is Trevor?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Trevor from the "Jersey Way" is taking a temporary break. Not sure re Trevor Pitman.

      Delete
  12. butler-Sloss has gone now Woolfe has gone, do you think Dame Heather will get the message??

    ReplyDelete
  13. Fiona Wolff has resigned because she felt she had lost the confidence of the victims. Bishops Dakin and Gladwin were made aware of Dame Heather's conflict and lack of confidence in May last year but chose to ignore the concerns. Will they be made accountable?

    ReplyDelete