Thread: Calls for justice for men falsely accused in Bryn Estyn child abuse scandal

From The Daily Post:

Calls for justice for men falsely accused in Bryn Estyn child abuse scandal

A GROUP critical of those who made false allegations during a child abuse scandal are calling for people with information to come forward.

North Wales Fact (Falsely Accused Carers and Teachers) group wants justice for the men they say were vilified during the Bryn Estyn care home case of the early 1990s.

Members of Fact are asking any witnesses from the Wrexham area to now come forward and help the men they say were wrongly imprisoned and labelled paedophiles.

One man who was falsely accused by a former pupil at Bryn Estyn, and wished to remain anonymous, has spoken for the first time of the experience.

The former teacher, who lives in the Wrexham area, was visited by North Wales Police officers one morning in March 1992.

He said they entered his home and searched rooms looking for pornographic material.

The man, who is married and now in his seventies, worked at Bryn Estyn 20 years previously.

He recalled how police told him allegations had been made by an ex-resident of the school. The man said: “Of course I denied any misdoing but they wanted to search the house. I asked what they were looking for and was told they were searching for videos and photographs. I pointed out we did not have a video player.”

He added: “I was taken to the police station and put in a cell. I was questioned twice before being released later that day on bail and told to return to the station in six weeks time.

“It was a horrible time, then six weeks later I received a letter from North Wales Police informing me I did not have to answer police bail.

“Since that day, almost 18 years ago, I have not had any communication with the police about this matter.”

The Fact group pointed to historian Richard Webster’s 2005 book The Secret of Bryn Estyn: The Making of a Modern Witchhunt.

In the book, Webster examined much of the evidence presented to the Waterhouse Inquiry of 2000 regarding the allegations made in respect of homes across North Wales.

Having taken 10 years to examine everything in detail, Webster decided the Waterhouse Inquiry was a “travesty of justice” that broke every guideline from the opening speech by counsel.

In 2002, the Home Affairs Select Committee set up a further inquiry to look into allegations of abuse in children’s homes.

Evidence was gathered from across the UK, including North Wales.

They concluded miscarriages of justice had arisen from the ‘over-enthusiastic pursuit of allegations relating to children’s homes’.

A police inquiry had led to 10 convictions with abusers imprisoned for offences committed at homes throughout North Wales over decades. However, there were claims some or many of those accused were victims of false allegations.

Fact was initially formed to support staff who had been falsely accused or wrongly convicted of child abuse.

It campaigns for reform in the criminal justice system to prevent miscarriages of justice, and for improvements in investigative practices to remove the presumption of guilt.

The man added: “There have been miscarriages of justice in these cases and the Home Office do not seem to want to listen to the truth.

“Many men have had their lives ruined, their careers turned upside down and in some cases their families destroyed.

“There are people out there who know what really happened. It’s time they came forward and told the truth.”

North Wales Police declined to comment.