A Victim of the Jersey Child Abuse Scandal Tells Her Story: Marina Cremin

The police investigation of child sex abuse on Jersey was sabotaged by the island's government. The press were bamboozled and the public have never heard the full story. Almost all the victims have been too afraid to speak out. This is the amazing story of one of the victims.

Marina Cremin was raped and physically and sexually abused for years at the Haut de la Garenne children's home. The abuse, perpetrated by members of Jersey's parliament, other adults on the island and by members of staff of the children's home, started when she arrived at the age of 5 and continued until she was moved to a special school in London in her early teens. She returned to Jersey and at 18 she was admitted to psychiatric hospital.

Marina recommends the book 'They Stole My Innocence' by Madeleine Vibert for anyone who is interested in gaining a deeper understanding of what happened to children at Haut de la Garenne.

The abuse of these very young children was completely organised by the institution and it's head. It involved groups of men coming to the children's home and staff members bringing and then collecting and sedating the children who were required to join the men in sexual activities.

Marina describes the convicted paedophile 'The Beast of Jersey'/Edward Paisnel. Mr Paisnel not only visited the home in a horrifying costume to rape the children but also came to the home dressed as their Father Christmas to distribute presents. She describes Jimmy Saville's visits, during which he would sit her and her sister on his knee. She describes the head of the children's home, Mr Tilbrook, carrying a pillow at all times to stifle the children's screams and who, after leaving Haut de la Garenne, had good enough references to take over a home for learning disabled children in Yorkshire.

It was crimes of this calibre that Graham Power and Lenny Harper, of the States of Jersey Police, lost their jobs trying to investigate. Marina describes how their replacement, Gradwell, destroyed evidence and joined the government of Jersey in covering up the crimes committed against children under their care.