No records of sexual abuse complaints made about former Newport head teacher

South Wales Argus
August 24, 2015

http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/13621367.No_records_of_sexual_abuse_complaints_made_about_former_Newport_head_teacher/

ALLEGATIONS: Former head teacher Jon Styler

THERE are no records of a complaint made to the former Gwent County Council about a Newport head teacher who allegedly abused a number of his pupils, according to Gwent Archives.

The Argus had previously reported the accounts of two former Malpas Church in Wales school pupils, who have both alleged that Jon Styler carried out a series of sexual assaults on boys at the school in the 1970s.

Styler, who lived alone at Queens Hill Crescent, Newport, committed suicide while on police bail in 2007.

He had been arrested on suspicion of similar offences, allegedly committed 27 years earlier.

Styler had been due to surrender to bail on the day he died.

In a letter to his solicitor before his death, he expressed his anxiety that friends and family should find out about the allegations being investigated.

A former senior staff member claimed that authorities, including the church, school governors, unions and the former Gwent County Council, allegedly knew about the concerns of the pupils involved.

In a witness statement seen by the Argus, he said he initially took his worries to a church leader, as it was a faith school.

He then spoke to Gwent County Council and claimed that Styler was called in for a meeting.

He said: “The limited feedback I received was to the effect that Mr Styler was questioned as to whether he was homosexual. I understand Mr Styler confirmed he was not.”

Gwent Archives’ county archivist, Tony Hopkins, told the Argus that they had no knowledge of such a file on Styler and that there are no records of Styler having had any disciplinary hearings with the council.

A spokeswoman for the Church in Wales previously said: “In the 1970s, the Church in Wales didn’t have the formal safeguarding policies it has in place today.

“However, to ensure that no allegations of sexual abuse had not been dealt with, we launched a historic case review in 2009 which involved an independent examination of all clergy files.”

“We have no record of abuse claims against Mr Styler.”