It is important to “learn lessons” after a former headteacher was found guilty of sexually abusing four girls, the Children’s Commission for Wales has said.
Neil Foden was jailed for 17 years on Monday after he was convicted of 19 total charges.
The 66-year-old, from Old Colwyn, was found guilty in May after a three-week trial at Mold Crown Court.
Children’s Commissioner for WalesRocio Cifuentes said she is “keeping all available options open” to ensure lessons are learned.
“We must not allow these harrowing experiences to pass without learning lessons to better protect children in the future,” she said in a statement to Sky News.
“My immediate concerns as Children’s Commissioner are to ensure that the next steps to be taken by the safeguarding board are as strong and thorough as possible.
“I want to make sure that the scope of the Child Practice Review’s remit is sufficient to allow us to identify these lessons.”
The moment Foden was arrested. Photo: North Wales Police
‘To disappoint’
Gwynedd Council said Foden’s victims had been “let down” and that recommendations from the North Wales Safeguarding Board would be implemented.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Rowlands described Foden as “a man admired by many in the education system” who “managed to hide a terrible secret”.
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He said Foden took advantage of girls “repeatedly” to satisfy his “depraved sexual needs”.
“You were in a position of trust in relation to the children in your care,” he added.
“It is clear that you have no remorse, have not shown an ounce of regret for what you have done and have no idea of the undoubtedly very serious harm you have caused to individual victims and their families.”
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Judge Rowlands said Foden was “a strong and intimidating presence” at his school, Ysgol Friars, where he became headteacher in 1997.
The union representative who was also called in to “supervise a second school” was, the judge said, a man “people were afraid to cross.”
He was arrested on September 6 last year at his place of work.
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