Letter from former DCO Lenny Harper.

On Saturday the 18th of December 2010 Jersey’s only “news”paper, the Jersey Evening Post published, what many of us believe to be, another propaganda exercise and an attempt to re-write history. It came in the form of an interview with the out-going Acting Chief Police Officer David Warcup.

Mr. Warcup appeared to come across in that interview as though he was a victim, which to say the least was very distasteful and yet another slap in the face for the victims and survivors of Child Abuse.

In response to the published interview, which was also published by  Rico Sorda with Mr. Warcup - former Deputy Chief Officer of the States of Jersey Police and Senior Investigating Officer of Operation Rectangle Lenny Harper wrote a letter to the Jersey Evening Post. It remains to be seen as to whether it will be published, or not, so we have decided to publish it on here in full, un-edited or un-redacted.

Dear Sir,

So David Warcup maintains he had to give out the now discredited misinformation at the infamous press conference to “protect prosecutions.” He becomes the latest police officer to fail to recognise that untruths and misinformation actually damage the chance of justice. He also persists in ignoring the clear fact that none of those prosecutions in any shape or form featured children’s bones or teeth. When one thinks of the massive publicity and speculation surrounding some notorious trials it is difficult to imagine how anything in Warcup’s world could ever get to trial. He did not seem too concerned when the trial of the British drugs dealer widely reported as being on the Sunday Times rich list went ahead with all sorts of lurid reporting including the publicity over the extraordinary armed security.


When what he said at that press conference is examined then his claims are even more bizarre. He states it was necessary to tell the world that there were no cellars – only three feet voids. We all know this was untrue. Not only was Robert Hall of Panorama filmed in the cellar and seen by the world, Jersey’s own Bob Hill blew that untruth out of the water recently. So why does Mr Warcup still insist it was necessary to brand the victims of the abuse in those “voids” as liars?


Then of course we had his claim that there was only one possible human bone and that was hundreds of years old. He forgot all about the statement of the UK pathologist and his evidence of the “fleshed and fresh” juvenile human bones being burnt and buried. Where did that statement go?


He also had to say of course, that I whipped up the media about the shackles which he said were no such thing. He conveniently ignored the fact that it was builders who identified them as shackles five years before I found them and they told Diane Simon and other reporters that we would find shackles. All this of course, despite Diane Simon’s JEP report being still accessible in which she clearly states that I had refused to confirm the existence of shackles despite her asking me about them. Come to think of it, Mr Warcup could have clarified this exact point with Diane when she interviewed him.


Now, what else was it that he had to say at the press conference to protect future prosecutions? Oh yes. My team and I had no policy to cater for victims. Well, the statements of the Jersey Abuse survivors seem to contradict that and indeed point the finger at his lack of care for them.


And finally of course, his claim that the tooth fairy does exist, further enlarged upon by his great supporter the Home Affairs Minister who said the teeth all fell out the same spot and went through the same hole in the floor. Of course they did!


Mr Warcup says he believes he left a legacy. He did indeed, but it is not one the victims will thank him for. He whines about the unjustified criticism of him in blogs which tell the truths the accredited media are afraid or unwilling to print. He should have thought of that before he spouted that load of nonsense in that press conference two years ago.


Lenny Harper


Ayrshire, Scotland.

We must also remember that Mick Gradwell and David Warcup showed the world's media, (while "Operation Rectangle" was a live investigation) items found at Haute de la Garenne ("shackles") which were potential evidence. When we read what the then Attorney General, and now Deputy Balliff William Bailache had to say when deciding not to prosecute a number of cases, then one has to ask just what were they thinking?

"In three of the cases, the complainants are intrinsically not credible for different reasons, one of them being that the complainant described assaults taking place in a cellar, in the bath and with the use of the shackles described in the media reports, the statement being made for the first time after the media reports had been published."

So far from "protecting prosecutions" being a reason for Warcup and Gradwell holding their infamous Press Conference, it might be argued that the only "protection" that was given was to the perpetrators!. Lenny Harper had refused to confirm the existence of shackles, David Warcup and Mick Gradwell not only mentioned them but showed them to the whole world!..............during a live investigation!!!!!!!

Submitted by Team Voice.