Child abuse

On the same day as Panorama presented the results of its investigation into abuse of cadets, the final report of the Jersey Care Inquiry was published. It does not make pleasant reading, especially the conclusion that the conditions which led to abuse are still there.
At its best, the “Jersey Way” is said to refer to the maintenance of proud and ancient traditions and the preservation of the island’s way of life. At its worst, the “Jersey Way” is said to involve the protection of powerful interests and resistance to change, even when change is patently needed. [...]We consider that an inappropriate regard for the “Jersey Way” has inhibited the prompt development of policy and legislation concerning children. Treating children in the care system as low priorities fails those children and shames the society concerned. [From the Executive Summary]

The concern for South Wales is the suggestion, when the Jersey abuse first hit the headlines around ten years ago, that troubled children from local authorities here had been farmed out to Jersey. A cursory glance at the contents page of a very detailed report does not confirm this, but clearly closer inspection is needed.