Prisoner not allowed to leave jail to prepare for sex abuse trial

Monday 17 June 2019

A prisoner, who made a personal plea to the Royal Court to be temporarily released to prepare to give evidence in the UK against a man he claims abused him, has been denied the opportunity to leave jail.

The bail application regarding a man remanded in custody at HMP La Moye came before Lieutenant Bailiff, Jurat Anthony Olsen, in the Royal Court last week.

But, in refusing it, the Lieutenant Bailiff explained that, although he wouldn't be permitting him to be let out in preparation, he expected proper arrangements would be made to allow the alleged victim to give evidence at the trial itself. 

Reading a statement from the dock, the prisoner, who remains anonymous to protect his identity as an alleged victim, claimed that he had suffered stress and post-traumatic anxiety as a result of being abused by a worker in the UK, said to have abused their position.

Pictured: The application came before the Royal Court last week. 

He added that now, decades later, he had the opportunity to obtain justice as a formal complaint would shortly result in a Crown Court trial. 

The man later told the Lieutenant Bailiff, who was sitting with Jurats Pitman and Hughes, that he would accept any conditions the Court might impose in order to enable himself to properly prepare to appear as a witness in the impending UK court case. 

Crown Advocate Richard Pedley opposed the application on the basis of the man’s bad record, which he said included a significant number of offences of dishonesty.

Giving the Court’s decision, Lieutenant-Bailiff Olsen told the prisoner that the Court was unanimous in rejecting his plea, taking into account his very bad record and the risk of reoffending.

“But we do expect arrangements to be made to allow him to attend the trial and to give evidence. We think that is very important and we expect it to happen,” he added. 

The man was subsequently returned to prison.