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2.12 Senator S. Syvret of the Attorney General regarding investigations into possible child abuse offences at Victoria College during the 1990s:
Will the Attorney General inform the Assembly whether the police have referred papers to him relating to a recent investigation into possible offences relating to the failure to protect children from abuse and the risk of abuse at Victoria College during the 1990s and, if so, whether any such possible offences should have been investigated and prosecuted at that time?
The Attorney General:
As elected Members are sensitive to the need for checks and balances in the exercise of power, this is a surprising question. The police and the prosecution are, operationally, independent of each
other and of politicians and it is not for elected Members to concern themselves with decisions
taken in individual cases. However, reserving my right to decline to answer inappropriate questions in the future, I will add this. As far as I am aware, no papers have been referred to me by the police relating to any recent investigation into the matters raised in the first part of the Senator's question. As a result, the second part of the question is otiose.
2.12.1 Senator S. Syvret:
A supplementary. Originally, my question which was not allowed by the Bailiff originally posed the question: "Would the Attorney General confirm that the police have been recently investigating such matters?" Would he say whether the police have been investigating such matters? That is a different matter to whether they have been given any papers.
The Attorney General:
I cannot answer for what the police are or are not investigating. Senator S. Syvret:
I think the answers are pretty self-evident.
The Bailiff :
Is that a supplementary question?
Senator S. Syvret:
It is a statement of fact.
The Bailiff :
Members should not make statements of fact when we are in question time, Senator, as you well know.