As part of our posts, and interviews, with Abuse Survivor Jean Neil We bring readers an update since she gave live evidence to Jersey's Child Abuse Inquiry.
We have supported, and reported, Jean's brave journey since she first made contact with us back in April 2012 where we were the first to break the story of a little known Jersey "care" home (Grouville Girls Home) PUBLISHED HERE.
After VFC broke the story, back in 2012, the State Media were forced to take note and run with it also as PUBLISHED HERE.
As a result of VFC's coverage of Jean's horrific story she has now been able to make contact with a fellow survivor of the home, after 60-plus years, as a direct result of VFC's involvement as PUBLISHED HERE.
Now that Jean has been through the ordeal of giving evidence to the Inquiry, and due to logistics, Team Voice were unable to interview her, we asked if she would consider submitting a Guest Posting instead. She agreed and we are pleased to offer it below.
"A big thank you VFC for all your support through the Blog programme for me as I have gone through these last two or three years having to put my Jersey Child Abuse story to the authorities.
Obviously what you do is a battle because you and some of the good people of Jersey give the truth and is a threat to the Jersey authorities
On the 2nd of September 2014, whilst on holiday in Jersey I spent three and a half hours giving a written statement to the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry also stating that to save the States of Jersey the cost of bringing me over at a later date I asked would it be possible to give my evidence whilst I was in Jersey but I was told they could not do it and they would have to fly me back to Jersey or I could do it via video link at a later date.
I chose to return to Jersey as I had nothing to hide or be ashamed of and would face the court or whatever I had to go through. My abusers are the guilty ones and the Jersey Authorities and the Jersey Welfare that let us all down are equally as guilty.
The enquiry people wanted me to fly over to Jersey on the first flight out from the UK that would have meant I would have had to be up at 4:00am in order to travel to the airport and catch the flight. The enquiry team then wanted to fly me back home the same afternoon after giving my evidence.
I was surprised the team didn’t see how this could be a great burden and stress on my 79-year-old body so I brought it to their attention and was allowed a stopover in Jersey before flying back home.
I came to Jersey on the Wednesday 1st October and gave evidence the following day. I was at the court from about 9.15am being prompted by the lawyer as to what the procedure would be, told I was not to mention any names and that faces in the photographs I had provided as part of my evidence would be blacked out. I must say I did not expect to go through such an ordeal at the age of 79. I felt the ordeal of having to give such personal details to so many strangers was embarrassing to say the least.
On reflecting when I got home I felt although the Lawyer was gentle with me, I felt that some of the things that I had to enlarge on were uncalled for i.e. the “foo foo washing” surely it was plain enough for people to know what it meant?
This level of personal detail was difficult for me to talk about in such a public court room and I have no idea why the lawyer thought this line of questioning was significant to its enquiry. I recall reading that a witness gave a statement accusing the States Of Jersey of accepting a fifty thousand pound bribe from JIMMY SAVILE but the lawyer didn’t ask the witness about it. How can a “foo foo washer” be more significant than an accusation of a fifty thousand pound bribe?
The ordeal of having to give such personal details at such a public forum got all a bit too much for me and I broke down in tears and asked for a break. The panel agreed to me having a break where I was taken to a separate room and accompanied by a member of the media team attached to the enquiry. With hindsight I can’t see why I was not offered any victim support because I clearly needed it and a media professional is not the ideal person TO CONSOLE A VICTIM OF ABUSE having to relive their most disturbing memories of childhood.
I did not feel the impact from the ordeal of giving evidence to the enquiry until a couple of days later where I am now on medication, and therapy, to help me sleep and needing help to come to terms after all the publicity which is still not finished.
I ask the Inquiry Team and myself what will you achieve to help our age group that went through all this, our abusers have got away with it and we have had to live with this all these years. Giving evidence was hard and painful but I hope and pray that through me doing this that others who have been abused in anyway will come forward, why should these horrible people get away with it you are not the guilty ones the abusers are and if they are still alive they should stand trial but if you do not come forward they are laughing and getting away with it, be brave and stand up for your rights."(END)
Jean's experiences, of giving evidence to the Inquiry, are at odds with the Inquiry's. Jean tell's us;
"I did not feel the impact from the ordeal of giving evidence to the enquiry until a couple of days later where I am now on medication, and therapy, to help me sleep"
Yet the Inquiry tells us;
"All the witnesses who have given evidence so far have been positive about both their experience and the support received at the IJCI." HERE
But at the same time tells us;
"it is not possible to determine if there has been deliberate interference with the Inquiry’s post" HERE
Thank's to Jean, and all Victims/survivors/witnesses/whistleblowers for attempting to get the truth out there. We will continue to do the same.