Last week there were reports of children's skeletons having been discovered at a youth hostel in Jersey, called the Haut de la Garenne, in an investigation being called one of the worst cases of child abuse in decades.
Last week on Digital Journal.com, Lew Waters reported of horrendous findings in Jersey, at a youth hostel called, Haut de la Garenne, where a child's skeleton was discovered under a concrete floor with police fearing there could possibly be up to 7 more children's bodies to be discovered.
"Victims claimed they had been savagely beaten, indecently assaulted and raped by staff. There were accounts of children being punched in the head, flogged with canes and kept in solitary confinement."
Today we see that the first chamber of horror, a room described in the media as a "child abuse cellar", has been uncovered with a communal bath or animal trough in the middle of the room where some 160 alleged victims described being physical and sexually assaulted in that particular room.
On a vertical wooden beam rising up from the bath, the words "IV BEEN BAD 4 YEARS & YEARS" has been written in black marker pen.
They also discovered a trap door through the ceiling of the room, to lower the victims into the secret chamber.
This torture complex is believed to conceal an additional three chambers to which the authorities hope to uncover, not knowing what they will find when they do.
One of which is a bricked-up doorway leading from the first room. Police believe these cellars were originally used to house livestock or house pigs.
Many of the claims of child abuse at Haut de la Garenne date back to the 1960s and 70s, although some lead right into 2003, one of the older claims involve a Jersey politician, senator Wilfred Krichefski, who was one of the founders of the island's TV station, Channel TV.
A former resident of Haut de la Garenne has told police that Mr Krichefski, who died in 1974, raped him in the early 1960s when he was aged 12. A police spokesman said: "These allegations are part of our investigation."
One specific complaint against Krichefski came from a victim that believed although Krichefski was dead, people "need to know what he was really like."
The former resident said he would be woken by a care worker with the words “There is someone here to see you”. He was presented to his abuser with the words “Here’s a boy for you, sir.” The alleged victim man said: “That man raped me and did despicable acts. I know he is dead but people need to know what he was really like.” “He said: ’I’m going to teach you to be a good boy. You’ve been wicked and no one wants you. Your parents don’t want you - that’s why you’re here.’” The only person he told about the abuse was a psychiatrist on the island who warned that if he repeated the allegation he would be placed in a mental hospital.
Further research into this case shows that there have been threats by a former care worker, against one of the victims to stop giving evidence. This is believed to be the latest of several attempts to hinder this investigation, leading to Deputy Chief Police Officer, Lenny Harper to state that anyone that approaches a potential witness is committing a "serious criminal offense", and that offenders would be charged with "offenders would be charged with perverting the court of justice".
The latest incident involved a 38-year-old male IT worker from Telford, Shropshire. A woman is said to have warned him on the phone that it was in his "best interests" to keep "a low profile".
Officers also revealed on Saturday that allegations of child abuse on Jersey go right up to last year. Until now, it was believed the claims were until 1986 - when the Haut de la Garenne children's home on the island was closed.
However, senior officers have disclosed their inquiries into the physical and sexual abuse of children involve allegations made earlier this year about an incident last year. There are other claims relating to 2003.
As of now, there are over 40 suspects in this case investigation.
Besides the four chambers the police believe exist there, is also another secret underground area that the police have yet to investigate.
The buildings north wing, where they believe the other underground complex is hidden brought up another case from 2003, where bones were discovered and were initially believed to have come from an animal. That case is being reopened.
Jersey travel and hotel officials are holding crisis meetings, worried that island's image as a tourist destination could be damaged by the investigation.
Photos of the search, victims and grounds of the home in Jersey can be found here.
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[Update] 3/3/08- Yesterday they found more bones and more witnesses are coming forward with damning statements.
One former resident has told Jersey police that he had doubts about claims that his brother killed himself while they both lived at the home.
“We have recently taken a statement from a man whose brother hanged himself when they were both at the home,” a police spokesman said.
Another person has told detectives that he never saw police investigate three deaths during his time at the home.
Carl Denning, 49, said that during his three years at Haut de la Garenne there were two suicides and one mysterious death in the sick bay.
“The suicides were never spoken of,” Mr Denning said. “No one saw the police turn up to investigate them. If you asked, the staff would just say, ‘It’s been dealt with’. It was as if they had just been swept under the carpet.”
Mr Denning, who said that he was sexually abused at the home between the ages of 5 and 8, claimed a first-floor sick bay and two solitary confinement cells were used by staff and visitors to abuse children.
One child, aged about 12, was found hanged after spending a week in solitary confinement.
Also a statement from a former worker:
"When I left ... and I left in distress and abuse I received from some of the staff ... I couldn't get anybody to listen to the problem. There was just a wall of silence," former volunteer at the facility Christine Bowker told the BBC.
This keeps getting worse and worse.
