Latest: Jersey Care Inquiry

The NSPCC has said the report from Jersey's Care Inquiry needs to 'shed light on the full extent of abuse perpetrated against vulnerable children in Jersey’s care system.'

It comes after the Panel made their closing statement this afternoon.

The report is due to be published at the end of the year but the children's charity say it should 'see the light of day' as soon as possible as 'those affected have waited long enough'.

No officials will see the report from Jersey's Care Inquiry until it is published.

The panel investigating historical child abuse in the island are retiring to analyse the evidence and write up their findings, which are due to be published at the end of this year.

It follows two years of public hearings.

Chair, Frances Oldham QC, says some parties have said it would be a good idea to be given notice of potential criticisms and to engage with the Panel before it's finalised.

But, she says anyone has had the opportunity to engage with the Panel though giving evidence, during the public consultations and during closing submissions.

She added that criticisms have already been put to the parties during the investigation.

The Chair of the Jersey Care Inquiry has made her closing statement.

Frances Oldham QC and her two panel colleagues will now retire to write a report based on all the evidence they have been given.

She thanked everyone who has given that evidence to the Inquiry and reiterated what the Panel will be focusing on in the report.

Here is the full closing statement:

Today the inquiry into historical child abuse in Jersey began its final week of public hearings, giving a chance for interested parties to make their very final submissions.

The police, States of Jersey and the Law Officers Department had their say on the evidence given to the panel.

The Jersey Care Leavers Association will have its say tomorrow.

Counsel to the Inquiry began summing up the key points they think the panel need to focus on when writing their report.

They reminded Frances Oldham QC and her colleagues that they have heard oral evidence from 200 people, and had written submissions from 450 more and considered 66 thousand pages of documentary evidence.

Their job now, they were reminded, isn't to make findings on individual allegations of abuse but to make judgements on the culture within the care system, identify patterns of abuse and any systemic failings.

The summing up will continue until Wednesday, when the panel will finally retire to write that report.

It's been two years since public hearings started here in St Helier, and since then the Care Inquiry's original £6 million budget has more than doubled to £14 million.

It's publication, due at the end of this year, is being eagerly awaited by hundreds of islanders, many of whom say their lives have been shaped by their treatment in care.

Jersey's long-running Care Inquiry into historical child abuse is having its last public hearing this week.

It is for final comments to be made on evidence that has been heard by the panel over the past two years.

Hannah Bechelet has more:

The final week of Jersey's long-running Care Inquiry begins today.

There is just a few days left for interested parties to make final submissions, before the final report is prepared and published.

So far around 600 witnesses have given evidence to the independent investigation into historical child abuse.

Jersey Police, The States of Jersey and the Jersey Care Leaver's Association are all set to give evidence this week.

• Watch: Hannah Bechelet reports on the Inquiry's final week