PETER STEEN FROM WREXHAM FACES SEVEN CHARGES OF CHILD ABUSE IN HISTORICAL CASES

A 74-year-old resident of Wrexham has been formally charged with a total of seven serious offences, including multiple counts of assault and child cruelty. These charges are part of a broader investigation into historical abuse allegations linked to children's homes in the region. Peter Steen is the third individual to be brought before the authorities under the auspices of the National Crime Agency's (NCA) operation known as Pallial.

According to the charges, the alleged offences committed by Steen involve four boys and one girl, all aged between 13 and 16 at the time of the incidents. The alleged abuse is said to have occurred over an extended period, spanning from 1978 to 1986. The nature of these allegations points to a disturbing pattern of misconduct during a time when many children in care were vulnerable and often lacked adequate protection.

Steen has been granted bail and is scheduled to appear before Mold magistrates on the 12th of June, 2014. His case is part of a larger investigation that was initiated after disturbing allegations surfaced from individuals who had been in care homes across North Wales. The investigation, Operation Pallial, was established to uncover and address historical abuse that took place between 1953 and 1995.

In related developments, on the same day, Richard Dafydd Vevar, aged 62 and also from Wrexham, was charged with indecent assault. Vevar is accused of assaulting a boy aged between 13 and 16, with the alleged offences occurring between 1986 and 1989. Additionally, another man named John Allen, aged 72, is facing trial later this year on 39 counts, including 29 charges of indecent assault. Allen has denied all allegations against him.

These cases highlight the ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies to bring justice for victims of past abuse and to hold accountable those responsible for such heinous acts during a troubling period in the history of children's care in North Wales.