Two men charged with historic sex offences at Welsh children's centre
Gwent Police said the two men have been charged with 45 alleged offences between them, relating to 16 victims.
The alleged sexual and physical offences took place predominantly at the Coed Glas Assessment Centre, Abergavenny, between the 1970s and 1990s.
Angus Riddell, 69, of Cwmbach Rhondda Cynon Taf, has been charged with 38 offences, including three counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 16 and one count of attempted indecent assault on a girl under the age of 16.
He is also charged with 14 counts of indecent assault on a boy under the age of 14 and 20 counts of assault, ill-treatment, neglect, abandoning a child, or causing a young person unnecessary suffering or injury.
Robin Griffiths, 65, from Ebbw Vale in Blaenau Gwent, has been charged with seven counts of indecent assault on a boy under the age of 14.
Both men were arrested on Friday June 20 and have been now been bailed to appear before Newport Magistrates' Court on July 3.
The arrests come as part of Operation Spinney, which has been investigating reports made by men and women of sexual and physical abuse committed against them as children, predominantly at the former assessment centre.
The centre was the responsibility of the former Gwent County Council and has been closed since 1995.
Detective chief superintendent Andrew Tuck of Gwent Police said: 'A team of detectives has been working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service and local authorities as part of a long-running investigation into allegations of non-recent sexual offences relating to the former children's home in Abergavenny.
'This has resulted in us being able to charge two men for a number of sexual offences against children.
'We are committed to securing justice for the victims in this investigation and continue to support them alongside specialist agencies.
'We would ask for people to respect the judicial process and avoid online speculation on this case. This is to ensure the integrity of the investigation and court proceedings.
'We take all reports of child exploitation seriously and would urge anyone who has suffered abuse or has concerns about someone who may be suffering to come forward and speak to the police.
'We will listen to you and investigate all offences and also ensure you have access to any help or support you need.'
Hannah von Dadelszen, chief Crown prosecutor of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: 'The Crown Prosecution Service has received a full file of evidence from the Gwent Police and has authorised the investigation team to charge two defendants with multiple counts of child sexual offences.
'This charging decision was made by the Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit, which has a team of specialist prosecutors to lead on these complex and sensitive cases.
'The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against these defendants are now active and that they have a right to a fair trial.
'It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.'
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Two men charged with historic sex offences at Welsh children's centre
Gwent Police said the two men have been charged with 45 alleged offences between them, relating to 16 victims. The alleged sexual and physical offences took place predominantly at the Coed Glas Assessment Centre, Abergavenny, between the 1970s and 1990s. Angus Riddell, 69, of Cwmbach Rhondda Cynon Taf, has been charged with 38 offences, including three counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 16 and one count of attempted indecent assault on a girl under the age of 16. He is also charged with 14 counts of indecent assault on a boy under the age of 14 and 20 counts of assault, ill-treatment, neglect, abandoning a child, or causing a young person unnecessary suffering or injury. Robin Griffiths, 65, from Ebbw Vale in Blaenau Gwent, has been charged with seven counts of indecent assault on a boy under the age of 14. Both men were charged on Friday June 20 and have been bailed to appear at Newport Magistrates' Court on July 3. The arrests come as part of Operation Spinney, which has been investigating reports made by men and women of sexual and physical abuse committed against them as children, predominantly at the former assessment centre. The centre was the responsibility of the former Gwent County Council and has been closed since 1995. Detective chief superintendent Andrew Tuck of Gwent Police said: 'A team of detectives has been working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service and local authorities as part of a long-running investigation into allegations of non-recent sexual offences relating to the former children's home in Abergavenny. 'This has resulted in us being able to charge two men for a number of sexual offences against children. 'We are committed to securing justice for the victims in this investigation and continue to support them alongside specialist agencies. 'We would ask for people to respect the judicial process and avoid online speculation on this case. This is to ensure the integrity of the investigation and court proceedings. 'We take all reports of child exploitation seriously and would urge anyone who has suffered abuse or has concerns about someone who may be suffering to come forward and speak to the police. 'We will listen to you and investigate all offences and also ensure you have access to any help or support you need.' Hannah von Dadelszen, chief Crown prosecutor of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: 'The Crown Prosecution Service has received a full file of evidence from the Gwent Police and has authorised the investigation team to charge two defendants with multiple counts of child sexual offences. 'This charging decision was made by the Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit, which has a team of specialist prosecutors to lead on these complex and sensitive cases. 'The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against these defendants are now active and that they have a right to a fair trial. 'It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.'
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