The statistics revealed that there were 20 offences of rape, 17 of sexual touching and eight of indecent assault. In some cases a number of the crimes involved a single victim and resulted in prosecutions.
About four in every ten cases of child sexual assault lead to convictions, States police figures show. Of the cases reported in 2018, 44% led to convictions and 40% in 2017. They include non-recent cases of abuse.
Acting Superintendent Alison Fossey (pictured left) has said she hopes a £2.55 million investment in the Island’s sexual assault referral centre – Dewberry House – could help the police gather better evidence in cases of sexual crimes against children and increase the likelihood of gaining more convictions. Yesterday, staff from the children’s charity the NSPCC were in the Island to work with police, prosecutors and others on the early stages of setting up a new ‘child house model’ for Jersey. The aim is to bring all services needed to support children – the police, doctors and social services – who are victims of sexual crimes under one roof in a purpose-built facility.
Last year, 39 children were supported by the SARC but, based on UK figures, it is feared that as many as 1,000 children alive today in the Island could be victims before they turn 18.
Dawn Hodson, development manager for the NSPCC, said a child house model was first adopted in Iceland in 1996. Since then, they have seen a ‘doubling’ in reports of child sexual assault and an improvement in the ‘therapeutic wellbeing’ of victims.
The SARC is currently based at 6 Plaisance Terrace on Route du Fort but the facility, which was opened in 2017, has been described as ‘not fit for purpose’.
Acting Supt Fossey said having a purpose-built facility that brought everything needed under one roof could help them improve the evidence they gathered and ‘increase the likelihood of reaching charging thresholds’. And she added that technologies to allow victims to give evidence in court – but from the comfort of the centre – could improve the quality of evidence put before a court or jury and improve the conviction rate.
She said: ‘The development of the SARC to include a child’s house will provide enhanced support to children and young people who are victims of sexual abuse. It intends to offer a joined-up approach where, if required, children and young people can get access to all medical, practical, social care, police and therapeutic support under one roof.
‘From a criminal-justice perspective the aim will be to enhance the children and young people’s experience of the process post-disclosure. The child’s house will provide advocacy and intermediary support which will lead to better engagement and better evidence collected by video interviews. Live links will be provided from the child’s house to the court, thereby potentially preventing the child or young person from being required to attend court. This should reduce stress for them and their caregivers. We believe that this, coupled with the other fundamental elements of the child’s house, such as easier and quicker access to long-term therapeutic support, should increase the likelihood of reaching charging thresholds and gaining convictions.’
Access for disabled people and general privacy issues have also been cited as concerns at the current facility.
A Justice and Home Affairs spokesperson said that a site selection process would be carried out as part of the SARC redevelopment project, now that funding had been secured for it.
‘We are delighted the funding for the new SARC has very recently been approved in the Government Plan,’ they said.
‘The project to turn the funding into reality is commencing. It will follow the usual procedures for site selection, by first identifying the right building specifications to meet clients’ needs, then tendering for the project and full implementation of the new facility.’
