Town hall chief ‘wrong’ to back Farnell claims
ROCHDALE council leader Allen Brett has admitted it was ‘wrong’ to back his shamed predecessor Richard Farnell in his claims he knew nothing about historic child abuse at Knowl View school.
Coun Farnell was suspended by Labour on Thursday – just minutes after the national child abuse inquiry concluded he lied under oath.
Giving evidence to the hearings last October he claimed to have known nothing about the Knowl View abuse scandal 25 years ago.
But he was branded ‘shameful’ in the first report from the Independent Inquiry on Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) for refusing to take personal responsibility for the abuse - which happened under his watch when he was first town hall leader between 1988 and 1992.
He could now could face criminal action as police talk of ‘possible offences’.
But speaking after taking over from Coun Farnell in December, Coun Brett said he hoped the inquiry’s findings would ‘show that what Richard said was true’.
In statement issued today Coun Brett said he ‘now realises’ that was ‘wrong’.
He added: “In my first moments as leader of the council I appealed for people to wait for the outcome of the inquiry, which was right, and went on to say that I hoped it would say what Coun Richard Farnell said was true. Looking back now I realise it was wrong of me to pre-empt the outcome of the inquiry.
“The Labour Party acted quickly to suspend Coun Farnell, and he should now personally reflect on the report.
“Greater Manchester Police have said they will look at the report to determine they need to take further action against anyone mentioned in the report, which I fully support.”
The IICSA report found that, over more than 30 years, children were being abused at Knowl View school, Cambridge House boys hostel, the bus station, in the town centre and the notorious Smith Street public toilet directly across the road from the council’s own offices, by former Rochdale MP Cyril Smith and several others.
Today Coun Brett has also apologised to the victims.
He said: “The first thing that I want to do, and what I think is the most important, is apologise to the victims of child sexual abuse. Although these terrible events took place many years ago, they still live with the consequences. I also want to say very clearly to them that this was not your fault; you were let down by people who should have been protecting you and you deserved better.
“I have asked the chief executive of the council to initiate a process that allows us to give a fuller response to the report and the national inquiry.
“We must also give our residents some reassurance about how things have changed since these terrible events because things certainly have changed and there is work being done by the council that is really excellent. We have not been sat around waiting for the national inquiry to tell us what to do. We have put many measures in place that are recognised nationally and regionally because keeping children safe is an absolute priority for the council.
“The report has made difficult reading for us all and as human beings we are of course aware of the hurt and suffering that has been caused.” ●●Council leader Allen Brett (left) said he was ‘wrong’ to back predecessor Richard Farnell’s claims he knew nothing about abuse at Knowl View School