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ITV News spoke with one of Foden’s victims ahead of the report’s release. Words and report by ITV News Reporter Lora Jones
The Child Practice Review into the crimes of convicted paedophile headteacher Neil Foden was long-awaited.
It was finally published on Tuesday, exposing the fact that there were more than 50 missed opportunities to intervene and stop Foden from sexually abusing children in North Wales.
Titled “Our Bravery Brought Justice”, it honours the victims’ courage in speaking out, which ultimately led to Foden being jailed for 17 years.
ITV News spoke with one of Foden’s victims ahead of the report’s release.
Louise, whose name we have changed to protect her identity, gave evidence at his criminal trial.
Charges weren’t brought on her behalf, but she is a former pupil of Foden’s. No longer a child, she says he promised to help when she was being bullied.
Louise, whose name we have changed to protect her identity, spoke to ITV News’ Lora Jones ahead of the review’s publication. Credit: ITV News
“When I started seeing him, I thought he was quite nice, so that was a big shock. He was worse than what everyone already thought of him,” she said.
“I felt, because he listened, that I could trust him. But he ended up taking advantage of that.”
She describes meetings in his office: “If I was upset, he’d start rubbing my arm or my leg, and occasionally he’d try to look up my skirt if I was sat in front of him.
“And that progressed to him hugging me when I was upset. And he would just start breathing down my neck.
“It just made me feel really uncomfortable. I didn’t know what to do. I just froze.”
She says he also made inappropriate jokes, then laughed and said he might lose his job.
‘Missed opportunities’
Last year, Foden, 66, was found guilty of sexually abusing four other girls over a four-year period.
During his trial, the court heard how he would drive some of them to secluded country lanes, where he would sexually assault them.
He urged his victims to keep quiet, telling one she must “take it to the grave”.
The highly critical report published on Tuesday looks at the time period between January 2017 and 30 September 2023, and highlights numerous instances when individuals and agencies reported concerns about Foden’s inappropriate contact with teenage girls.
Neil Foden was found guilty of sexually abusing four other girls over a four-year period. Credit: North Wales Police
It includes times he was seen alone with them and giving them lifts.
It even details one occasion where he accompanied a child to a hospital gynaecological appointment without the child’s parents’ knowledge.
It says these were all “missed opportunities” for action to have been taken against the former headmaster of Ysgol Friars.
Led by social care expert Jan Pickles, it also describes him as a “powerful figure” within the education community in Wales.
He is a former union official, and despite being reprimanded by the teaching regulator in Wales over bullying allegations in 2020, a year later, he was given more responsibility as a strategic head, with oversight of another school.
The 108-page report describes him as “controlling” and suggests he created a culture which made staff afraid to speak out, and set up a structure he could exploit.
Elandré Snyman, a former teacher at Ysgol Friars, went up against Neil Foden in an employment tribunal several years ago. Credit: ITV News
‘Climate of fear’
Elandré Snyman, a former teacher at Ysgol Friars, went up against Neil Foden in an employment tribunal several years ago.
In the final judgment, the judge found Neil Foden to have been “vindictive and deliberate” in his treatment of the representative for another trade union.
“You were either in his camp or you were not,” Mr Snyman said.
“Some members of staff felt that they became targets in the school and that was very unfortunate because it created an atmosphere, or a climate at least, of fear and intimidation.
“And those members of staff that actually did stand up and challenged Neil Foden, they had unfavourable treatment.”
Looking ahead, he says there needs to be a “total overhaul” of how safeguarding is handled by the local council, Cyngor Gwynedd, and “how that filters through to the governors in the school and their responsibilities of keeping members of staff, headmasters, whoever it is, in check with that type of safeguarding”.
In its response, the leader of Cyngor Gwynedd, Nia Jeffreys, acknowledged this was a “shocking case that has caused so much harm to children”.
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“We are saddened by the details that have been highlighted by the independent reviewers, and we take responsibility for the mistakes and missed opportunities to stop Neil Foden,” she said.
“On behalf of the council, I apologise to all those who have suffered.”
Ysgol Friars also apologised to the pupils and former pupils who have been affected.
“As a school, we will never lose sight of the horrific crimes that were committed, or the strength of those who stood up and spoke out,” a statement read.
“We remain committed to learning from these terrible events and to ensuring that Ysgol Friars is a safe and supportive environment for all young people.”
For Louise, she is still trying to come to terms with what happened.
“I don’t feel as upset and overwhelmed as I did,” she said.
“I do think about it every day, though, and I just think, like, why would he do something like that? How could he, like, even think of doing that and thinking he could get away with it?”
She is now part of a group of 20 people considering taking civil action against the council, as well as a local community attempting to rebuild and regain trust.
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