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21/09/2009
Jersey Care Home Worker Jailed For Abuse
A former care worker at the Haute de la Garenne children's home in Jersey has been jailed for two years after being found guilty of a number of sex attacks on teenage girls in the 1970s.
Gordon Wateridge, 78, of St Clement, Jersey worked at the care home between 1970 and 1974.
He was found guilty of eight counts of indecent assault against three girls and one charge of assaulting a teenage boy and was sentenced to 21 months for each of the indecent assaults and three months for the other assault charge at Jersey Royal Court, The charges are to run concurrently.
The trial heard how Wateridge would grope girls' breasts, hug them inappropriately and kiss them on the neck.
The children at the care home were described as "vulnerable" and suffered from a variety of problems.
Speaking at sentencing, Judge Christopher Pitchers said that Wateridge's actions were "sexual bullying", but were at the "lower end" of sentencing guidelines. However, he stressed that there was "no such thing as a trivial indecent assault of a child".
Last year, Haut de la Garenne became the focus of the largest investigation into child abuse ever conducted in Jersey. Initially, there were reports that human remains had been found at the site, while there were allegations that murders and tortures had taken place there. However, these claims were later proved to be false and senior police officers admitted that there was no evidence of any murders.
(KMcA/BMcC)
Gordon Wateridge, 78, of St Clement, Jersey worked at the care home between 1970 and 1974.
He was found guilty of eight counts of indecent assault against three girls and one charge of assaulting a teenage boy and was sentenced to 21 months for each of the indecent assaults and three months for the other assault charge at Jersey Royal Court, The charges are to run concurrently.
The trial heard how Wateridge would grope girls' breasts, hug them inappropriately and kiss them on the neck.
The children at the care home were described as "vulnerable" and suffered from a variety of problems.
Speaking at sentencing, Judge Christopher Pitchers said that Wateridge's actions were "sexual bullying", but were at the "lower end" of sentencing guidelines. However, he stressed that there was "no such thing as a trivial indecent assault of a child".
Last year, Haut de la Garenne became the focus of the largest investigation into child abuse ever conducted in Jersey. Initially, there were reports that human remains had been found at the site, while there were allegations that murders and tortures had taken place there. However, these claims were later proved to be false and senior police officers admitted that there was no evidence of any murders.
(KMcA/BMcC)
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