Child's remains found at former care home

Ben Quinn

The Observer

A child's remains were discovered yesterday by police searching a former care home in Jersey. A specialist team found what are believed to be a girl's remains at Haut de la Garenne, which has been at the centre of abuse allegations dating back to the Sixties.

Last November police launched an investigation into allegations of abuse of boys and girls between 11 and 15 at institutions on the island. The focus of the probe has been Jersey Sea Cadets and Haut de la Garenne, situated on the island's east coast.

More than 100 people have contacted a helpline since the investigation began, leading police to identify more than 70 alleged victims and at least 20 suspects. In January Gordon Claude Wateridge, 76, became the first person to be charged in connection with the investigation. He is accused of indecently assaulting three girls, all under 16, between 1969 and 1979, while they were at Haut de la Garenne. The home housed up to 60 young people with special needs before its closure in the Eighties.