North Wales policeThere were more than 50 “missed opportunities” to intervene and stop the head teacher who had been abusing girls over the years, the report found.
A practical program (CPR), led by prominent expert Jan Pickles, looked into the crimes of 68-year-old Neil Foden, from Conwy County in North Wales, who Imprisoned for 17 years After being convicted of 19 charges involving four girls.
the review Foden was said to be a “disturbed sex offender who harmed many children”.
The leader of Cygor Gwynedd Council said the authority took responsibility for the mistakes and missed opportunities to stop the fodens and apologized “to all those who suffered”.
A total of 52 concerns about safeguarding and other issues were found to have been raised and not acted upon by Cyngor Gwynedd and other agencies earlier in 2018, continuing until the arrest in 2023.
The “ambitious” recommendations made in the report are “designed to bring about the most significant change in safeguarding schools in a generation,” Pickles said.
He said that the name of the review, our courage that brings justice, was chosen by one of the victims, and it is “now our duty to challenge them” and prevent similar abuse of their challenge.
The review is unique in its size and scale, analyzing 10 times the amount of information typically viewed in a CPR, and took more than a year to complete.
It also highlights a historical allegation that dates back to 1979, shortly after Foden qualified as a teacher.
The highly critical 108-page report said he was a “powerful figure” within the education community in Wales who had a “wide reputation” and also used excessive force on boys.
It is said that there are frequent warnings about Foden, that it is described as “opportunistic and determined”, not caring or not understanding.
He was arrested in September 2023 after one of his victims showed an adult photo of themselves on foden and screenshots of sexual sex messages.
The pickles were given to pay tribute to the courage of the victims and described the fodens as “a sophisticated and controlling pedophile” who “created a culture that offended the sight”.
He said that care is a “multi-a will responsibility”, which requires all agencies to contribute to the protection of children, guidelines and policies, adding: “In this case, the arrangements have failed.”
Ordered by the North Wales Caution Board following Foden’s conviction in 2024, the report was due to be posted hours before it was released.
A statement at the time cited the need for the board to discuss “its legal obligations and information sharing further”.
Foden was the long-time Headteacher of the Friars of Ysgol in Bangor, Gwynedd, and for a time a strategic head of another school in the county.
The report examined a period of time from January 2017 to 30 September 2023, and highlighted several instances of individuals and agencies reporting concerns about female students.
This includes the times he was seen alone with them, giving them a lift and accompanying them to medical appointments.
It said they were all “missed opportunities” for the action brought against FODEN.
The review cites one meeting when four senior Cyngor Gwynedd officers from education, children and family services and legal departments came together to discuss issues about two vulnerable children.
The children are said to have seen themselves for a long time, to be sent home alone, and that a little girl was seen with her head on Foden’s shoulder.
But the discussion is a professional behavior, not protecting the child, and no connection is made with one of the children who have already made the concerns raised the year before.
On another occasion, the report said the Fodens took a child to a Gynecological hospital without the knowledge of the child’s parents.
He took the child to an additional appointment at the hospital, leading the clinic to consult with a health protection team.
A letter was sent to the clinic saying that they understand that the child “spends a lot of time on the fodens in his room”.
The boy sent it through the school but was directed to the fodens, and was later found in what was his office, more than five years later.
The report says that the risk to this child was not considered, and that it was a bad chance.
On more than one occasion the NSPCC has raised concerns of “foden’s inappropriate professional boundaries”, with a complaint about his relationship in 2020 dismissed by Cyngor Gwynedd as “not meeting the child’s well-being.
The review compares the failures of its protection found in the case of the inquiry of Clywch and Pedophile author Johne of PonyPold more than 20 years ago.
It is explained as “terrifying” the same issues identified in the inquiry, regarding the failures to follow the recommendations regarding the monitoring of the personnel that are currently ongoing.
The review called for a national strategy to ensure consistent education protection and governance in Wales.
It also made a number of recommendations, which Jan Pickles said were “informed by the keen intelligence of young people who have been injured”.
Among them are updated guidelines for handling allegations against school staff that will be drawn up, and the agencies say they will always work together.
Nia Jeffreys, Leader of Cygor Gwynedd, said: “We are saddened by the details highlighted by the independent reviewers and take the opportunities of errors to stop errors of errors to stop errors of errors to stop errors of errors to stop neil fod.
“On behalf of the council, I apologize to all those who suffered and pay tribute to their courage and strength.”
A statement from YSGOL Friars said: “As a school, we will never forget the terrible crimes committed, or the strength of those who stood up and spoke out.”
It added school leaders “remain committed to learning from this disaster”.
Chiefs Chief Constable Gareth Evans from North Wales Police said the force recognized “there are opportunities to protect these young people through multi-agency keeping these young people through multi-agency
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