To Jane in London,I think you are probably right for a large percentage of the island.Especially the elder sections of our society.Back in those days a blind eye was always turned,not just in Jersey but everywhere.The younger generation are more aware of the implications of a situation like this and what it can do to the reputation of an island like this.It brings out comments like Jaspers who I assume is from England and so has no right to be having a go at anybodys government going by the state of England at the moment.Thats not to say there hasn't been a cover up of some sort.I am sure there has.But thats what Governments are for isn't it?Democratic or otherwise.Take the money and the perks,not do much of any use and reap any benefits sent in their direction.And help out your friends in equally high places.
It is all a sorry mess and looks likely to go on over here for a long long time.Hopefully everybody involved is caught out and suitablly punished.Only time will tell.

Roley McMichael, Jersey, Channel Islands

In ireland between 1999 and 2004 we had a large number of allegations that children had been killed in industrial schools run by the Christian Brothers. These included accusations in a major Sunday Newspaper of mass killing ("a Holocaust") at Letterfrack in Co. Galway. Not a single claim has proved to be correct. This is not surprising as several relate to periods when no child died of ANY cause. (I call these "Murder of the Undead" allegations).

One body was exhumed and proved to be a death from natural causes but the resulting publicity resulted in dozens of child abuse claims witin a couple of weeks against the institution.

The child killing allegations were not made by isolated nutcases but by major newspapers and by leading members of child abuse organisations. They have now ceased but the people responsible have not been called to account.

What is happening in Jersey looks like a repeat of our Irish witch-hunt.

Rory Connor, Dublin, Ireland

Rory Connor, Dublin, Ireland

"“These were children no one wanted." .... “It doesn’t surprise me that some disappeared, they were half way to being disappeared by being put there in the first place.”

these statements reveal the real truth. the abusers were just the mould and fungi that grow on refuse. the fact that these children were refuse at all is down to society at large.

jono, auckland, aotearoa

Frank Wlaker's media appearances in the last few days, including Newsnight last night, clearly demonstrate that he is only interested in protecting the commercial and tourism interests of the Island and is furiously trying to cover the whole thing up. The entire Government of Jersey shold resign at once.

Mrs Warner, London,

Sexual abuse victims whether alive as survivors or dead are the ones who eventually are forgotten and all the attention goes on the perpetrators and debates about what to do with them. If we lived in a better society babies, toddlers, children and teenagers would be more protected and not just turned into another name in the social services ever growing files in every town and city in the country and worldwide or make tabloid headlines on an every increasing basis. The survivors are quickly forgotten or made to feel they should hide away or have been better prepared or educated to avoid abuse when the trauma, stress and anxiety abuse caused creates so many mental health problems that life remains difficult even in the aftermath if alive and if dead for those remaining. This case is no different to any other except there are more dead bodies. Paedophiles will not stop as a result of this and the law can ony act after the crimes are committed, its a Catch 22 situation.

betty mitchell, bedford, uk

Jane can you seriously say 'we can all only surmise....' when there is all this evidence coming to light?

Seems to me that some people in Jersey still want to turn a blind eye to these crimes.

Rebecca, London,

I was a schoolboy during the times that the alleged abuse and murder took place and the threat from my father if I received a bad school report was that he was going to remove me from the good school that I was I at and send me to Haut de la Garenne.At the time everybody knew that it was a nasty place to be and rumours were rife about what happened at the place.My fathers threats were always tongue in cheek but definitely enough to do something about my own work because going to ' la Garenne was considered a fate worse than death. Or so we thought at the time.Jersey people of my age are not genuinely surprised about the news coming out now.

Roley McMichael, Jersey, Channel Islands

It's being said that these bodies have been there since the Occupation. Let's hope so.

neil, waterford,

The Haut de la Garenne investigation is in its early stages, and will be a shock for the small, and usually very safe community of Jersey. Historically the case will be unique, the island boasts a very safe environment with a low crime rate - a murder will only happen once in every 10 years, a stark contrast to the UK with a murder, rapes, horrific attacks on children and the elderly on a weekly basis. Jersey hence is greatly admired internationally, and one of the key reasons many people wish to bring their families to the island to live.

With the investigation at such an early stage why does the world's media jump on the 'scandal monger' bandwagon and surmise the worst details without substantial fact? And sensationalise the worst freak crimes imaginable? There have always been 'lurid' men in communities, now we sensationalise this by giving them an industry called 'paedophilia' when we should be discouraging them!
Lets hope in Jersey's case a lesser crime unfolds.

Jane Blakeley, Jersey, Channel Islands

why have we sensationalised 'crimes of a sexual nature'?
Why are our tv screens and tabloid newspapers littered with the worst detail of the worst crimes going? There is loads more 'good' news to report, as tragic as the Jersey Child Care home investigation is being purported, until there are finite conclusions we can all only surmise....

Jane Blakeley, Jersey, Channel Islands

Well I think everybody in that place should be under investigation. There is obviously a massive conspiracy going on and I wouldn`t be suprised if there are some people involved which sit high up in society. It disgust me that pedo,s have probably used that place like a, sorry to say a child sex take way shop. I am angry and sad,nd that high society seem to have different frles, they could have probably stoped it.

Chris, stockholm, sweden

Clearly these people are unfit to govern themselves, so how about "Bringing Democracy" to the Channel Islands ?

jasper, chelmsford,

The many who sneer and doubt the widespread nature of physical and sexual abuse will be quiet at least for a few weeks. Adults of the post war generation were absolute cowards to stand and do nothing. Of course now they are all bawling their heads off for more pensions etc.

thomas, edinburgh, scotland

I am interested in the background to Michael Collins' death. I understood that he was living with foster parents at Lower Trinity when he went missing and the foster father went to look for him and found him dead in a lane nearby hanging from a tree. Can anyone confirm whether this is correct?

Susan Hansford, Adelaide, South Australia