Protest against proposed care memorial held in St Helier
A protest has been held against a proposed memorial to children abused while in Jersey’s care system.
Dozens of people gathered at the Weighbridge in St Helier this afternoon (25 October), where the Jersey Care Memorial is due to be erected.
The Care Memorial is part of the government response to the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry to recognise children failed by the island's care system.
The event was organised by Cheyenne O’Connor, who said she had been spurred into action after seeing the reaction of survivors.
She added she was pleased to see so many people get behind the cause.
Survivor Natalie Strecker, who spoke at the event, said those affected by abuse may find the memorial triggering due to its prominent location.
She added she was not against a memorial, but said the government needed to consult survivors to decide what was appropriate. “Things can’t be tokenistic. They have to be grounded in a real commitment to change. There’s lots of ways you can have a memorial but not one that’s in people’s faces", she said.
Police officers flanked the gathering, but the protest remained peaceful, with organisers urging people to respect each other’s views.
Several members of the States, including Children's Minister Senator Sam Mézec, also attended. He said he felt the protest had been a "positive step".
In response to the opposition, Senator Mézec has asked the government to commit to holding a consultation with survivors to find the best way to move forward.