Senior Jersey police officer to help abuse inquiry

The Very Reverend Bob Key was suspended after the initial report into his handling of the allegations

A senior police officer will help in the investigation into how Jersey's Dean dealt with allegations of abuse.

Det Supt Stewart Gull, head of special branch and CID in Jersey, will join a team lead by Dame Heather Steel.

The inquiry will look at how the Very Reverend Bob Key, the head of Jersey's Anglican Church, handled a woman's claims of abuse by a church warden.

It will look specifically at the actions of the Dean from when the unnamed woman came to him in 2008.

It will be used to inform a review led by Bishop John Gladwin into how victims of abuse are treated across the Diocese of Winchester, of which Jersey is a part.

Dame Steel was a High Court Judge in England and Wales and retired from Jersey's Court of Appeal in 2012.

The Dean's commission was withdrawn in March after an initial report, but he was reinstated on 28 April after he apologised.

Jersey police were asked to nominate an officer to take part in the investigation, which was commissioned by the Bishop of Winchester.

A police spokeswoman said Det Supt Gull would be able to continue his normal duties during the inquiry.

Bishop Gladwin is due to publish his report later this year.

The States of Jersey Police and Hampshire Constabulary investigated the allegations of abuse in 2008 but found there was insufficient evidence to proceed.