The Independent Jersey Care Inquiry has adjourned for the day and will continue hearing evidence from 10am tomorrow (Wednesday 24 September) re Jersey’s post-war legislation concerning children from expert witness, Richard Whitehead, Director of Civil Division, Law Officers' Dept. at States of Jersey.
In addition to the oral evidence which will continue to be heard, the Inquiry has received a large number of statements given by individuals to the Historic Redress Scheme and the States of Jersey Police, as well as many pages of Social Services records relating to the experiences of children in residential homes and foster care. These documents provide further crucial evidence for the Panel to consider in fulfilling its Terms of Reference.
To enable the Inquiry to consider all the available and relevant evidence, a selection of these documents will be read into the public record by Counsel to the Inquiry. In all cases the documents will be anonymised to give witnesses all the protective measures under the Inquiry’s protocols. This does not prevent any witness from giving evidence to the Inquiry at a later date.
Counsel to the Inquiry, Harriet Jerram, will set out the arrangements in more detail at tomorrow’s Hearing, before reading evidence into the record for the first time. This will be done in public and the full statement will subsequently be available in the transcripts section of the Inquiry website. The first tranche of evidence to be read into the record relates to the earliest period with which the Inquiry is concerned, the Jersey Home for Boys and the Jersey Home for Girls. This is to complement evidence already heard and further oral evidence to follow.