More Jersey abuse witnesses come forward

Reuters

Ten more victims and witnesses of alleged child abuse at a Jersey children's home have come forward since police dug up a child's remains on Saturday, police said.

In all, 150 people who claim they were abused or saw abuse at the Haut de la Garenne home over a period spanning four decades are now being interviewed by police.

Officers dedicated to the 20-strong Historical Abuse Inquiry Team are interviewing people living in Jersey, Britain, Germany and as far afield as Australia about their time at the home.

Police are also excavating a bricked-up cellar and other sites around the house looking for more remains after a sniffer dog detected Saturday's remains, thought to date back to the early 1980s.

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) said it has received 63 complaints to its hotline specially set up to take calls about Jersey. Of those, 27 have been referred to police.

Senator Stuart Syvret, sacked as Jersey's health minister last year when he made allegations of child abuse, told reporters: "the abuse was covered up for years."

Jersey's Chief Minister Senator Frank Walker is due to give a statement to the island's Assembly later on Tuesday.

The search of Haut de la Garenne in St Martin began last Tuesday after police received information from three different sources about the possibility of human remains having been buried there.

Last November, police launched an investigation into alleged child abuse on the island, including at Haut de la Garenne.