That was the headline on the BBC's website in July 2008. The article went on to quote the then Senior Investigating Officer of the Jersey Child Abuse Inquiry, Lenny Harper, who said;
"The indications are that if the results come back the same way as they have now, it is obvious there won't be a homicide inquiry."(emphasis added)
Mr. Harper is also quoted, in the same BBC article, as saying;
"But at the end of the day there just might not be the evidence to mount a homicide inquiry."(Emphasis added)
Former Senator, and Health Minister, Stuart Syvret, is quoted, in the very same article, as saying
"it was important to remember the abuse that occurred at the home, even if there was no murder inquiry."(emphasis added)
The full BBC article can be read HERE.
So it should be safe to say, going by the BBC's own website, that the BBC knows full well no murder inquiry was ever launched in 2008 or any other time.
This Posting comes on the back of the last posting where, early indications show, that local Bloggers (Jersey's only independent media) will not enjoy the same access to the Child Abuse Committee of Inquiry as the State Media. In the previous posting there were a number of links demonstrating why local Blogs are the most trusted, and accurate, news source on the Island when it comes to the Child Abuse cover-up, and it is the State Media who has buried documents, misled the public, and stand accused, in some circles, as being complicit in the cover-up.
The previous posting, including its links, should be read to put this posting into perspective and can be read HERE.
Hopefully readers will have read the previous posting and know that the Chair of the Committee of Inquiry, Francis Oldham QC, was on the Island last Thursday 23 March 2014 to appeal for witnesses to come forward and give evidence to the Inquiry. She was interviewed by State TV while Bloggers were not even told of her presence on the Island thus denied an interview.
I watched the local BBC's article, and interview with Ms. Oldham QC, and quickly realised that the broadcast, or its content, was completely misleading.
The BBC told its viewer(s);
"It was the launch of a murder investigation at the site (HDLG) back in 2008 that thrust Jersey's care system into the international spotlight."
After hearing/watching this I e-mailed former SIO Lenny Harper, copied in was managing editor of BBC Jersey, Jon Gripton, and a number of national journalists.
I wrote;
"Mr. Harper.
As I'm sure you are aware an appeal for witnesses was launched yesterday by the Child Abuse COI Chairman Frances Oldham QC.
The local State Media was broadcasting its usual propaganda and not least the discredited, and disgraced BBC. (managing editor copied in)
On last night's (Thurs 13th March 2014) local 6:30 "news" programme we were told;
"But it was the launch of a murder investigation in 2008 that thrust Jersey's care system into the international spotlight."
I am blacklisted by the BBC, that is to say that any e-mails/tweets/Facebook comments I submit are ignored because (according to Jon Gripton) I published, on my Blog, a photo of him he didn't like.
As you were the Senior Investigating Officer in 2008 and know (as does the BBC) there NEVER was a murder investigation launched, and you have repeated that fact many, many times, you might want to consider asking Mr. Gripton to correct the "mistake" with an apology by broadcasting the "truth" on tonight's "news" programme?
Like I said, I am blacklisted by the BBC, so it is not possible for me to ask him.
VFC"(END)
To which Mr. Harper promptly replied;
Good morning VFC. Please forgive the brief nature of this response, as I am heading out for the day.
I am a little surprised that the BBC should repeat this bit of nonsense again, as I am clearly on record many, many, times, stating and re-stating that there was NO murder investigation. Although we had evidence that children died there, or at least their remains were there, we could never find evidence that a child was actually killed there. There are numerous open source references to this, and to myself repeating this over and over again, not least on the BBC news web site. Perhaps the most obvious is the article on the BBC website of Thursday 31st July 2008, under the heading "Jersey Murder Inquiry Unlikely." Here again I give a clear indication that there is insufficient evidence to launch a murder investigation not least because of the conflicting evidence from experts about the age of the bones. It raises, once again, questions about the integrity of the BBC in Jersey.
Lenny Harper.(END)
A number of e-mail exchanges took place and I then wrote back to Mr. Harper the following day saying;
After watching the local BBC "news" last night where there was no attempt made to inform the viewers of the truth I shall be submitting a complaint to the BBC Trust (for what it's worth)!
It might be that Mr. Gripton has had the professionalism/common courtesy to reply to your e-mail, if so, could you let me know and I will hold fire on my complaint? If not I will submit my complaint this morning."(END)
Mr. Harper wrote back telling me he hadn't had a reply from Mr. Gripton. Five days later and Mr. Gripton has still not had the common courtesy to acknowledge any of our e-mails, nor correct the misleading information broadcast on State TV. Both myself, and former SIO Harper have now submitted a complaint to the BBC Trust.
The question has to be asked as to why the BBC would want to knowingly broadcast such misleading information? Why (wrongly) mention anything about murder inquiries when the Committee of Inquiry is appealing for witnesses of abuse? Just what is the BBC'S agenda, and why, after its misleading, and non reporting of Haute de la Garenne issues including the Jimmy Savile scandal is the BBC trusted, by anybody, let alone the COI, over and above the trusted Bloggers?
We encourage anyone/everyone wishing to submit evidence to the Committee of Inquiry to make contact through its website HERE.