Teachers and carers are easy targets (From Penarth Times)

Teachers and carers are easy targets

VALE campaigners hosted a conference last weekend, to highlight the issue of false abuse allegations being made against local teaching staff and carers.

The event was hosted by the voluntary organisation, False Allegations against Carers and Teachers, (FACT) at the Parish Hall, Britway Road on September 7. Their volunteer group in South Wales is working to raise awareness of false allegations of abuse, and to show how easily it can happen to anyone.

Volunteer, Joy Gower, got involved with the organisation, after her husband's cousin, local man Derek Brushett was found guilty in November 1999, as a result of Operation Goldfinch. He was sentenced to 14 years for a series of sexual and physical attacks on young boys in his care. The charges related to his time as Head of the Bryn-y-Don special school in Dinas Powys in the 1970s.

The Operation Goldfinch campaign was launched in April 1997, and centred on investigating alleged physical and sexual abuse of children in child care establishments in the South Wales area.

Father of four, Derek Brushett, from Dinas Powys launched an appeal in December 2000, and Brushett, now 57, saw his sentence cut to twelve years and three months by the Court of Appeal.

Ms Gower said that it is a problem for an individual to prove their innocence over an incident that allegedly happened years ago.

The volunteers want the law to be changed, in order to protect teachers that have allegations made against them.

The event was supported by the Friends of Derek Brushett (FoDB). FoDB was founded three years ago by supporters of approved school Head and Welsh Office social services inspector Derek Brushett in his home village of Dinas Powys.