Witness speaks of ruined childhood

A WITNESS told an Assize jury yesterday that the former house parent of Haut de la Garenne accused of indecently assaulting her had ruined her childhood.

The now 49-year-old woman, witness E, said the actions of the accused Gordon Wateridge while she was at the home had caused difficulties all of her life.

Wateridge (78), denies 19 counts of indecently assaulting young girls in his care while he worked at the St Martin’s children home in the 1970s. He also denies assaulting a boy and that he incited a group of boys to indecently assault witness E.

Witness E said she was 4 ft 11 in tall now and told the jury of ten men and two women that when she first went to the home as a 12-year-old she wore clothing designed for an eight year old child. She said that the girls could not walk past Wateridge without him lifting up their skirts.