Dr Giraldi Home
POLICE CHIEF SAYS ‘FULL CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION’ WAS CARRIED OUT
• Hernandez ‘present at interviews with alleged victims’
by Dominique Searle
The letter recently handed in to the Royal Gibraltar Police by Joanna Hernandez, the former probationary Dr Giraldi Home manager, does not contain any new allegations or leads in relation to the reports she passed to management in 2005 in which parents’ claims prompted concerns that there may have been incidents of abuse at the home.
In response to Chronicle questions to RGP Commissioner Louis Wink it has been confirmed that a “full criminal investigation was carried out” at the time. It also emerged that Ms Hernandez played an active role in that investigation in that she was herself present when alleged victims were being interviewed.
The RGP told said yesterday that they can confirm that “the allegations concerning the Dr Giraldi Home and which the Social Services Agency reported to Police were fully and thoroughly investigated.”
They added that “on conclusion of these investigations and after interviewing all persons concerned, which included patients and employees of the agency, the matter was referred for legal advice.”
The advice from the Attorney General’s Office (the files regularly referred to during the industrial tribunal) concluded that there were “no grounds for a criminal prosecution”. The RGP also confirmed that they have had “the full co-operation of the Social Services Agency throughout.”
It is understood that as a result of the complaints certain procedures were altered at the home. On this point the police yesterday limited themselves to confirming that they have no current concerns about the home nor are they seeking anyone in relation to the complaints that were investigated as a result of Ms Hernandez’ original report.
Meanwhile, the RGP repeated that it “urges anybody who may have any fresh allegations to bring these to our attention and they will be similarly fully and thoroughly investigated.”
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