Families of abused children press former Camden officials for answers on nursery case

Victims' families are calling on three Labour politicians who once held senior roles at Camden Council to clarify why Vincent Chan continued working with children after red flags emerged five years ago. Bright Horizons conducted a safeguarding probe in 2021, supervised by the council, which cleared Chan and allowed his return to the West Hampstead nursery where he later sexually abused young girls. The parents now request the 2021 investigation report, Local Authority Designated Officer records, and all emails or documents that led to the decision to reinstate him, while protecting the children's identities.

The officials in question are Georgia Gould, former council leader and current Schools Minister; Danny Beales, former cabinet member; and Sagal Abdi-Wali, newly elected MP and former council leader. Camden Council has commissioned an independent child-safeguarding review, with findings not due until early next year. The families stress they are not accusing the MPs of making the decision, but seek to understand what oversight was provided.