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| Probation for care home abuse man | Probation for care home abuse man |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| A man who sexually abused boys at a Jersey care home when he was a teenage resident there in the 1970s has been sentenced to two years probation. | |
| Michael Aubin, 46, of Southampton, admitted two counts of indecent assault and two of gross indecency on children under 10 at Haut de la Garenne. | Michael Aubin, 46, of Southampton, admitted two counts of indecent assault and two of gross indecency on children under 10 at Haut de la Garenne. |
| The Jersey-born cleaner was aged 14 to 16 when he abused two young boys who were aged between eight and 10. | The Jersey-born cleaner was aged 14 to 16 when he abused two young boys who were aged between eight and 10. |
| He pleaded guilty to the four charges at Jersey's Royal Court last month. | He pleaded guilty to the four charges at Jersey's Royal Court last month. |
| Defendant abused | Defendant abused |
| Aubin, a resident at Haut de la Garenne from the age of three, is the first person to be convicted following a wide-ranging police investigation into historic child abuse on the island. | |
| It centred on the Haut de la Garenne care home and police amassed a list of 40 suspects after scores of people came forward claiming they were sexually and physically abused there. | It centred on the Haut de la Garenne care home and police amassed a list of 40 suspects after scores of people came forward claiming they were sexually and physically abused there. |
| Aubin had told police in an interview that he himself had been a victim of abuse while resident at the home. | Aubin had told police in an interview that he himself had been a victim of abuse while resident at the home. |
| At 14 years old, he would not have been equipped to show the same restraint as an adult Commissioner Julian Clyde-Smith | At 14 years old, he would not have been equipped to show the same restraint as an adult Commissioner Julian Clyde-Smith |
| The court heard he suffered serious sexual abuse at the children's home in St Martin. | |
| Passing a sentence of two years' probation, presiding judge Commissioner Julian Clyde-Smith said the court had to consider how Aubin would have been dealt with in the late-1970s, as a 14-year-old. | Passing a sentence of two years' probation, presiding judge Commissioner Julian Clyde-Smith said the court had to consider how Aubin would have been dealt with in the late-1970s, as a 14-year-old. |
| "The court would have been faced with a boy aged 14 years old, with all the mitigation that goes with youth," he said. | "The court would have been faced with a boy aged 14 years old, with all the mitigation that goes with youth," he said. |
| "He would have been brought up in the institutional environment. He would have been presented as a victim of serious sexual abuse himself. | "He would have been brought up in the institutional environment. He would have been presented as a victim of serious sexual abuse himself. |
| 'Sad picture' | |
| "Although these offences were serious, they were not the most serious level of the scale. | "Although these offences were serious, they were not the most serious level of the scale. |
| "At 14 years old, he would not have been equipped to show the same restraint as an adult." | "At 14 years old, he would not have been equipped to show the same restraint as an adult." |
| Prosecutor Stephen Baker read a victim impact statement from one of the victims - now in his early 40s - which said that he had nightmares had been forced to leave Jersey because it held nothing but "bad memories". | |
| He was sexually abused at Haut de la Garenne - he was emotionally neglected throughout his early life - it was a brutalising process David Hopwood, defence counsel | |
| In mitigation, defending counsel David Hopwood said his client's life was a "sad picture". | |
| "He was sexually abused at Haut de la Garenne. He was emotionally neglected throughout his early life. It was a brutalising process," he said. | |
| Mr Hopwood added that Aubin had "expressed regret and disgust for what he did" and said that the care authorities must "bear some responsibility". | |
| Aubin had been held in custody since his arrest in May 2008 - equivalent to a 19-month prison sentence. | Aubin had been held in custody since his arrest in May 2008 - equivalent to a 19-month prison sentence. |