Thursday 28 February 2008

Thursday 28 February

Sunny spells interspersed with some showers. Tomorrow and Saturday will once again be extremely windy. Seems we dodged a silver bullet on Tuesday.

The Channel Islands are the focus of less than desirable attention at the moment. On Jersey, allegations of child abuse at a former children's home, Haut de la Garenne, led to the discovery of a corpse in the building. This was being used as a Youth Hostel. Further investigations by police, using a kadaver dog, found a suspect area, to which the dog reacted strongly. It would appear the lid has been lifted on an unsavoury period in Jersey's history, where children were abused whilst in care. Dozens of phonecalls have been placed with States of Jersey police by victims of alleged abuse.

I should point out that Jersey is part of the United Kingdom, but enjoys a large degree of autonomy. The island is close to the coast of Normandy in France, and shows French influence. Along with the other Channel Islands, Jersey was occupied by Nazi forces during World War II, and one of the last to be vacated by the Germans.

6 comments:

  1. Wow, please follow up as you learn more about that hostel.
    My dad was raised in a state run orphanage in Ohio after his mom died. He loved it there. He LOVES burnt food....i mean with the blackened parts hanging off the food and he says it is because the workers there burnt everything and fed it to them as kids.

    lisa

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  2. My mom was adopted out of an orphanage in Ohio ,also,and it's odd but my dad loved blackened food-especially cookies and popcorn ,also-but his mother is who burned the food and he-I guess learned to love it-or didn't know any better.But,Anyway-that is horrible about that childrens home-bless the souls that endured there......
    ~c~

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  3. How awful for those dear children.  The horrors they must have endured.
    Lisa

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  4. My dog would go nuts finding a cadaver, also.  I sure hope she never does.  How utterly gruesome.

    I think I prefer the Channel Islands (National Marine Sanctuary), et al, in California, U.S.!  (I used to live in Santa Barbara, and would look out at them.)

    What an utter shame for these helpless children.

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  5. How shocking that these children suffered so much and had no voice to speak up for them when it was all happening.  It is the stuff of nightmares.  I hope there are some perpitrators still alive to prosecute.  I think there is going to be a bigger can of worms to open here once everything is out into the open.
    God Bless their young souls.  They had no life at all.
    Jeanie

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  6. This is very sad, but I do hope they get to the bottom of it all.
    Lori

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