Council leader quits in sex abuse head apology row

Dyfrig Siencyn resigned as leader of Plaid's group on Gwynedd's council after initially refusing to apologise to the victims of a paedophile head teacher

A council leader who initially refused to apologise to the victims of a paedophile head teacher has resigned from his job.

Cyngor Gwynedd's Dyfrig Siencyn faced criticism from his own party and opponents after failing to say sorry to victims of Neil Foden, who was jailed for 17 years for sexually abusing four children between 2019 and 2023.

A woman who said she was abused by Foden welcomed the resignation and said the councillor had "undermined confidence" in the local authority.

Siencyn, who later rowed back on his initial refusal to apologise, said he was "deeply sorry for the pain the victims and their families have gone through".

BBC Wales Investigates last week aired allegations about Foden which go back decades.

One woman told the programme she was repeatedly indecently assaulted by Foden for two years starting in 1979. He had been a newly qualified teacher working at Ysgol Dyffryn Ogwen in Bethesda.

Nia, not her real name, said: “When Dyfrig Siencyn refused to apologise to us, the victims, who were subjected to abuse at the hands of Neil Foden, it was a failure to acknowledge our pain and suffering.

"This further led to the undermined confidence and failure we already had in Gwynedd council. I think I can speak on behalf of all victims when I say that we welcome the resignation of Dyfrig Siencyn.”

Foden was head at Ysgol Friars in Bangor and strategic head of Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle

'Forefront of my mind'

Siencyn has come under enormous pressure from others in his party in recent days, and senior figurers had told the BBC his position was untenable.

He had already rowed back on his earlier interview with Newyddion S4C and had issued an apology last Friday, but minutes later four councillors in his cabinet resigned.

Plaid leader Rhun ap Iorwerth had failed to support him, and called on the councillor to "reflect on the question of the apology" at Plaid's conference on the weekend.

Newyddion S4C has been told that Siencyn agreed to step down from his role as leader of the Plaid Cymru Gwynedd group in a meeting of the councillors on Wednesday evening.

In a statement, the councillor for Gogledd Dolgellau said: "I am deeply sorry for the pain the victims and their families have gone through at the hands of this man, and they remain at the forefront of my mind."

He said the recent period, "and the horrific information which has come to light about the unforgivable crimes of the paedophile Neil Foden – has been the most challenging for the council as an authority and for myself as leader".

'Victims should be heard'

Ynys Môn Plaid Cymru MP Llinos Medi said the victims of Foden "should be heard more than anybody in this tragic event".

She told the BBC's Walescast podcast: "We need to make sure that this never happens again - and an inquiry is extremely important so that lessons are learned and that the victims and their families are heard.

"We also need to recognise that Dyfrig has led Gwynedd council since 2017 and has done so in challenging times - during Covid. It's just unfortunate that this has ended up in this way."

Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Andrew RT Davies said on social media said the resignation was the "right decision", and a "full inquiry" was needed "to establish why the paedophile headteacher Neil Foden was able to get away with his appalling crimes for so long".

The Plaid group on Gwynedd council expressed its graitute to the former leader and said the election of his successor will "take place in due course".

Analysis: Gareth Lewis, BBC Wales political editor

It has been a long, difficult week for many people.

There was anger that this row was a distraction from what was most important: Getting to the truth for the victims of a paedophile.

Siencyn's resignation has felt inevitable since Plaid leader Rhun ap Iorwerth and Commons leader Liz Saville Roberts failed to directly back him as the problems around his non-apology came amid the party's autumn conference.

Then on Friday, just minutes after he rowed back and said sorry for "all those who suffered", four members of his Plaid Cymru cabinet resigned, heaping more pressure on him.

My Headteacher the Paedophile - BBC Wales Investigates - is available on iPlayer