Daughter of Jersey care home boss claims her 'monster' father subjected her to rape ordeal

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The boss of the Jersey care "home of horror" was a paedophile who raped his own foster daughter, according to sensational new claims.

Tina Blee, 38, has come forward to tell how the "monster" forced himself on her repeatedly, starting when she was only 10 years old.

She claims Colin Tilbrook regularly raped her, usually on a specific night when his wife was out for the evening, after she moved into his home aged six.

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The Haut de la Garenne children's home, which was run by Colin Tilbrook in the 60s. His foster daughter has now revealed that he raped her repeatedly, starting when she was 10

She said: "He was a monster and I want the world to know in the hope it will help the police."

Tilbrook, who died 20 years ago, ran the the Haut de la Garenne care home in St Martin, Jersey, during the height of a paedophile ring's regime in the 1960s.

Police have reportedly already identified him as a prime suspect in their investigation into possible abuse and even murder of children who stayed at the home.

Ms Blee told the Sun: "He abused me too but at least I survived. To think he may have been involved in the deaths of children is almost beyond belief.

"At least I am here to tell the truth about him. What he did to me has affected my entire life."

She lived with Mr Tilbrook and his second wife after he left Jersey and moved to Dorset, where he had incredibly secured a job as a council social worker vetting children's homes.

Within months, he was "checking" her as each time she went for a shower and by the time she was 10, she was being raped every week.

"I still had a social worker but he told me that if I told them they wouldn't believe me.

"They'd believe him because he was important in the social services department and I'd end up in a home like I'd started in. He knew I had nowhere to go."

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The chamber where children were apparently abused beneath the 'Colditz' children's home of Haut de la Garenne in Jersey

Ms Blee also told how he abused her in "other ways" and was domineering and sexually forceful, with a short temper.

She said she never confided in her foster mother at the time because she was so terrified that she would not be believed.

The attacks only ended when Tilbrook met another woman, Carol, who was to become his third wife.

Police are reportedly now going to interview Ms Blee about the allegations and her knowledge of Tilbrook.

Her claims came as Jersey's minister for child welfare was facing accusations of sabotaging the inquiry into child sex abuse on the island.

Ben Shenton sent an email to cabinet colleagues ridiculing the investigation and mocking Lenny Harper, the policeman in charge.

"My wife keeps referring to Lenny Harper as Lenny Henry - I don't think she's far wrong," said the health and social services minister in his extraordinary message.

Mr Shenton questions whether Mr Harper - Jersey's deputy chief police officer - has ever been investigated for "adult abuse".

He ridicules the idea that the remains found last week beneath the Haut de la Garenne children's home belonged to a child rather than to animals.

And he attacks Wendy Kinnard, a fellow senator whose home affairs ministry oversees the police in the Crown dependency.

"Wendy, why was it announced to the media that a child's body was found when this was not the case?" wrote Mr Shenton.

"Why have you allowed your ministry to be run in such an unprofessional and shameful manner?"

He claims that one sex abuse victim, purportedly interviewed by The Times this week, died last year.

More than 160 others have told police they were abused at the "Colditz" care home between the 1950s and its closure in 1986. At least 40 suspects have been identified.

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Press conference: Deputy chief officer Lenny Harper answers questions

When the Daily Mail confronted Mr Shenton, a 46-year-old father of two, about his email, sent three days ago, he said: "It was an internal email. I'm just trying to get at the facts."

He dismissed his comparison between Mr Harper and Lenny Henry the comedian as "a slip of the tongue".

But Mr Harper, who moved to Jersey six years ago after serving with distinction in the Metropolitan, RUC and Strathclyde police forces - said he was taking the slurs seriously.

He plans to seek legal advice with a view to a libel action and warned that the email could be "a godsend" to defence lawyers when charges relating to the investigation are laid.

"The letter is rather childish but it's a clear attempt to damage the inquiry and therefore damage the interests of all those who were abused in that home," said the 56-year-old officer.

"You may well ask why the very man responsible for children's welfare on this island would wish to sabotage the investigation.

"That is for him to explain but all I can say is that it will not work. Nothing will distract me from getting justice.

"They deserve much better and I am determined they will get that from the State of Jersey police."

Mr Harper is said to have upset leading Jersey figures by briefing journalists on his investigation.

But he said the Association of Chief Police Officers had endorsed his methods which had also led to a large number of alleged victims coming forward.

The abuse scandal is a deep embarrassment to the tax haven island where privacy and discretion are paramount.

•The chief minister of Jersey was facing calls to resign last night.

Five groups demanding the removal of Frank Walker over his handling of the Haut de la Garenne inquiry have appeared on the Facebook networking website.

He is likely to face further criticism in a rally due to be held in the capital St Helier this weekend calling for a change in the way the island is run.

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