Headteacher Neil Foden guilty of sexual abuse of girls Piers Le Cheminant convicted of 11 counts of child abuse
July 4, 2023

A Welsh headteacher has been found guilty of sexual abuse involving four girls. Neil Foden, 66, who worked at a school in North Wales, was charged with 20 offences against five girls, who cannot be identified to protect their anonymity.

He stood impassively in the dock at Mold Crown Court as the jury foreman read out the guilty verdicts on 19 out of 20 indictments. The jury of seven women and five men delivered their verdicts on the defendant, of Gwynant, Old Colwyn, after a three-week trial.The judge His Honour Rhys Rowlands called him “arrogant and controlling” man who was used to getting his own way. He said some explanations for his behaviour “beggared belief”.

The court heard concerns about Foden were raised with Cyngor Gwynedd at an earlier stage. Judge Rowlands said: “When real concerns were first raised about the defendant with the county council they were simply dismissed, pretty much out of hand.”

He said no investigation was carried out and no notes were taken. He added: “We now know he continued to offend. That’s very concerning indeed.”

Foden was convicted of sexual activity with a child, using or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to arrange or incite sexual activity with a child by penetration, engaging in sexual communication with a child, two counts of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust and possession of an indecent photograph of a child.

He adjourned the case for a pre-sentence report to be made. Foden is due to be sentenced at Mold Crown Court on July 1. The judge told him to expect a sentence of some length.

A Cyngor Gwynedd spokesperson said: “As a council, we welcome the court’s decision. We are appalled by the nature of the crimes committed and commend and admire the remarkable courage and resilience the victims and their families have displayed throughout the process.

They said: “As a result, pastoral arrangements put in place for pupils at the start of the criminal proceedings will continue for the foreseeable future.

From the beginning of this case, Cyngor Gwynedd has worked closely with North Wales Police to ensure that the Wales Safeguarding Procedures have been followed in full.

If you have suffered abuse or would like to discuss experiences, please contact our specialist child abuse solicitor, Charles Derham on the following:

E: charles@remedylaw.co.uk
T: 02393552513

A retired teacher is facing jail after being convicted of sexually abusing boys at two boarding schools.

Piers Le Cheminant, 77, taught at Oakwood School in Chichester and Salisbury Cathedral School between the late 1960s and early 1980s.

Complaints about his behaviour were made at both schools but he was not investigated by police until 2018.

He has been convicted of 11 counts of indecent assault over the course of two trials at Portsmouth Crown Court.

The court heard Le Cheminant, of Poundsgate, Devon, was asked to leave his position at both schools following allegations against him, but his conduct was not referred to police.

When the investigation was opened in 2018, former pupils were sent standard letters about their time at the school.

Abused during lessons

Officers received a number of responses naming Le Cheminant as being responsible for the abuse.

Jurors heard the defendant had been a popular teacher, and some victims said they had not spoken up over fears of getting him in trouble.

Some were abused during lessons in front of other pupils, while others were assaulted after swimming or playing sport.

Le Cheminant denied all the allegations in his police interview, describing them as “nonsense”.

The defendant was convicted of eight counts of indecent assault of a male person at his first trial in February 2022, and was acquitted of a similar charge.

The judge ruled he had no case to answer on a further four charges of indecent assault, and the jury was unable to reach a verdict on another three counts of the same offence.

He was convicted of three counts of sexual assault at a second trial that concluded earlier.

Le Cheminant is due to be sentenced on 16 June.

‘Time no barrier’

Gareth Morgan, senior lawyer with the Crown Prosecution Service, said many of the victims had “strikingly similar” recollections of the abuse they had suffered.

“The defendant was a popular teacher, which put some of his victims off sharing what had happened to them, as they did not want to get him into trouble,” Mr Morgan said.

“Le Cheminant used that popularity and significant position of trust to foster a closeness with pupils that he then often used to facilitate his offending.”

Mr Morgan said the abuse had taken a “terrible toll on the lives of the victims”.

He added: “This case very clearly demonstrates that no matter how long-ago sexual abuse was committed, time is not a barrier, and victims can see justice done even after many years have passed.”

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