A CHILD abuse inquiry due to open in north Wales this week is expected to hear evidence from 180 young people who allege they were assaulted by social workers and teachers and by six police officers while they lived in children's homes in the area in the early 1980s, writes Rachel Donnelly.
The inquiry, which is expected to last one year, has already been informed that the six police officers may be named in evidence given by the young people and part of the remit of the inquiry is to decide whether the officers names will be made public. The officers, at least one of whom is still serving, are being legally represented independently of the North Wales Police Authority.
The Prime Minister, Mr Major, announced the inquiry last year following the Jillings report which said the history of allegations of serious abuse of children by staff at the homes was "frankly appalling in its extent and persistence down the years".
Allegations of child abuse in the Clwyd area first surfaced in the early 1980s but it was not until early in 1991 that all the 46 children's homes in Clwyd and 17 in Gwynedd had been investigated by the social services. As the result of a letter written by a Clwyd council secretary alleging paedophile activity in the area, a three year investigation by north Wales police discovered a paedophile ring in two children's homes at Bryn Estyn and the privately owned Bryn Alyn.
In 1994 and 1995 two men were subsequently imprisoned for sexual offences and indecent assault against boys.