Children’s Commissioner for Wales Rocio Cifuentes said:
“All children have a right to be safe and to learn without fear of abuse. Neil Foden denied children this right, abusing his position of authority and failing those he had a duty to care for.
“The actions surrounding these offences and how concerns were dealt with must now be fully investigated. I contacted the local authority for assurances as soon as I was made aware of Mr Foden’s arrest in connection with these offences. I’ll be meeting with senior officials from the authority in the next few weeks to establish what steps they’ll be taking to learn from this.
“Professionals working with children have a duty to report any concerns about suspected risk of abuse, and children who come forward must be listened to and taken seriously. If anyone is unsure about whether or where to take any concerns forward they can contact my office or the NSPCC.”