Neil Foden: Independent review call after paedophile head jailed

Cyngor Gwynedd has a duty of care to children and should be subject to an independent review, according to Liz Saville-Roberts.

The Welsh government said it was waiting for the conclusion of the already underway Children’s Practice Review before deciding on any further action.

Cyngor Gwynedd, or Gwynedd council, said it is contributing fully to the review and an independent review was needed to understand what went wrong.

The call for a review comes in addition to the growing demand for a full public inquiry, which would force witnesses to contribute to the process.

Foden, 66, was jailed for 17 years for abusing four children between 2019 and 2023, but the BBC Wales Investigates programme recently reported further accusations that mean his abuse could have spanned 40 years.

During the court case, it became clear senior staff had raised concerns about Foden’s “close relationship” with teenage girls in 2019 – warning he could be at risk of accusations.

The concerns were shared with Cyngor Gwynedd, but a decision was made not to hold a formal investigation.

The court case heard from the former head of education at Cyngor Gwynedd, Garem Jackson.

He claimed he had made a senior safeguarding officer aware of the concerns, but had been advised there was no need for a formal investigation, as no official complaint had been made.

BBC Wales understands four members of staff were part of the decision not to investigate.

Three of those are still employed by Cyngor Gwynedd.

Mr Jackson has said safeguarding is a “key priority”, and that it was usual practice to discuss with the appropriate officer, and to follow their advice if any concerns were raised.