CONFIRMATION that some of the alleged victims of child abuse at the now infamous Haut de la Garenne are from Guernsey makes the grim scenes being played out daily on national television all the more real and relevant for this Bailiwick.

And, inevitably, the stories of mistreatment emerging from witnesses in Jersey are bringing forward tales of abuse from people here. Sadly, it seems, some of their accounts are not being told for the first time. It is only now though, that many feel they are being heard.

It is not an uncommon experience in these islands, judging by the number of people coming forward with allegations about Haut de la Garenne and other institutions in Jersey.

And it is that which fuels claims of a cover-up.

However, for such testimony to have been hidden for so many decades and to have gone unnoticed by successive politicians, police and other figures of authority it must be more than just about individuals. It must be the system itself.

Our own States has made great play of its desire to be a more open, communicative government. It recognises that it has failed to engage with many islanders.

Unfortunately, on the evidence so far, it has failed to grasp one vital part of achieving that: being better communicators does not simply mean telling everyone the news you want them to hear; it means readily telling them the news you do not want them to hear.

To be a truly open society, incapable of ignoring abuse of the magnitude and timescale alleged in Jersey, government must open its doors and windows and let in some air.

That means a culture where the first instinct is to give, not withhold, information – even if the answers are not pleasant and do not paint the States in the best light.

A freedom of information law would be a step in the right direction. ‘Too busy’ is simply not a valid excuse for a matter of such importance.