TWO more cellars and more items of significance have been unearthed at former children’s home, Haut de la Garenne.
Work resumed at the site yesterday, with the team establishing that there were a third and fourth cellar beneath the Jersey home. However, to protect the integrity of forensics, only when the team has finished working in cellars one and two will an exploration begin of rooms three and four.
Commenting on work so far, senior investigating officer Lenny Harper said that police had received evidence from another victim over the last few days which told of abuse in one of these two new rooms. Room three, he said, was very like room two, while room four was similar in dimensions but might have less headroom.
‘Items have been recovered from cellar rooms one and two which tend to corroborate the statements of victims,’ said Mr Harper. ‘These could well be of forensic significance. We are not saying what these are, not because we want to be secretive, but because if the victims or witnesses mention them they lose evidential value if details are published.’
Away from Haut de la Garenne, the historic child abuse inquiry team is said to be continuing work and interviewing victims and witnesses.
Police said yesterday that more information had been received about the abuse that went on in the cellar.
‘We do not know about the carbon dating yet of the skull fragment yet,’ Mr Harper added.
‘More-sensitive tests will be carried out.
‘All we can say at the moment is that the skull fragment was placed in the location no earlier than the 1920s.’
The Youth Hostel Organisation, which currently manages the island’s only hostel, has posted a message on its website declaring the Haut de la Garenne branch shut for a year because of the ongoing police investigation.
Article posted on 26th March, 2008 - 11.15am
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