Council to apologise to paedophile head victims
North Wales PoliceA council is set to offer a "personal apology" to all victims of a paedophile headteacher, as it considers what lessons need to be learned from a scandal that has eroded trust in child protection processes.
Neil Foden, from Old Colwyn in Conwy county, was jailed for 17 years in July for sexually abusing four girls over a four-year period.
The council - Cyngor Gwynedd - will meet on Tuesday to discuss offering an "open and public acknowledgement that such crimes should never have happened" and to "sincerely apologise to the victims and their families", council documents show.
It is part of the authority's aim to "give confidence to the public" it is doing everything possible to ensure such abuses are not repeated, and also includes continued calls for a public inquiry into Foden's crimes.
The council also aims to offer support for victims and to establish a body tasked with finding all the facts of the case, headed by an independent figure with input from external bodies.
Council leader Nia Jeffreys said approving the plan would be "a step on the journey" towards "turning every stone to establish what went wrong".
Ms Jeffreys' predecessor resigned as council leader for not initially apologising to Foden's victims.
After becoming the new council leader in December, Ms Jeffreys called for a public inquiry into the Foden case, and apologised to the victims, vowing to "turn every stone to stop this from happening again".
But while the authority has offered a public apology, its has now set off on a "journey to establish how to offer that personal apology".
The council report adds that it is "essential" that the work is led by the victims and survivors, and to "provide all appropriate support to help them face the next phase of their lives".
It also states that every school in Gwynedd now has a designated safeguarding person (DSP) to ensure "effective child protection and safeguarding".
The council also revealed that an independent investigation had been launched following claims that reports were made to Cyngor Gwynedd that Foden was acting inappropriately with a child were not pursued.
In July councillors heard that the public's trust in the council's child protection processes had been "undermined" following the Foden case.
A Child Practice Review has already been established by the North Wales Safeguarding Board, headed by Jan Pickles, former assistant police and crime commissioner at South Wales Police, with initial findings expected in the spring.
But in an interview with Newyddion S4C earlier this year, Beca Brown, who used to oversee the council's education portfolio, said she was worried about the limitations of the current review.
"There is no way to compel witnesses, compel evidence and they wouldn't be contributing under oath," he said.
"But I would expect, of course, that everyone who is called - everyone who is invited to contribute to the review - will do so fully and with full cooperation."
Cyngor Gwynedd says it is "essential" that the plan does not "undermine" the work of the Children's Practice Review.
But they said that a full public inquiry - a decision on which is made by the Welsh government - would be stronger as it would compel evidence and witnesses under oath.
"The whole purpose of this Response Plan and every step that we take is to do everything possible to ensure that no one suffers in the same way ever again and this should be our main consideration at all times, , the council report said.
Ms Jeffreys said the plans document "the measures we have already put in place and what we will do over the coming months and years", adding that it can be adapted as necessary.
She added that it the plan would not "undo the impact on the victims", but described it as "a robust and transparent plan in response to a truly horrific situation".