CYNTHIA CHANDLER STRUCK OFF NURSE INVOLVED IN CHILD ABUSE AT HARROGATE, LEEDS, RIPON

In a disturbing case that has shocked the North Yorkshire community, Cynthia Chandler, a 71-year-old nurse with a long history of employment across Harrogate, Leeds, and Ripon, has been formally removed from the nursing register following her conviction for serious child abuse.

Chandler was sentenced to nine months in prison after she unexpectedly pleaded guilty at York Crown Court on August 2 to four counts of assault causing actual bodily harm and two counts of unlawful wounding. These assaults involved young boys at two separate children’s homes located in Harrogate and Ripon, where she had worked during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. Her husband, Reginald, who is not a nurse, received a much harsher sentence of eight years imprisonment for multiple serious sexual offences committed against children.

The investigation into these allegations was initiated by North Yorkshire Police, who established a dedicated task force following reports from two former child patients. These individuals recounted experiences of sexual abuse that had taken place at the Barnardo’s Home in Ripon and the National Children’s Home at Fairfield in Harrogate. The police traced adults who had been residents at these institutions, although they did not initially disclose the allegations to them. Instead, they asked whether these individuals had any complaints about their treatment during their time at the homes.

As part of the investigation, officers arrested Cynthia Chandler and her husband at their residence in Leeds. They were subsequently questioned at the police station in Harrogate. Detective Sergeant John White provided details about Chandler’s actions, revealing that she had denied any knowledge of the allegations until the morning of her scheduled trial. It was then that she pleaded guilty to the charges of assault causing actual bodily harm and unlawful wounding.

Det Sgt White described some of the specific incidents, including an occasion when Chandler, while working at the National Children’s Home, hit a boy over the head with a stiletto heel after he misbehaved during a dinner party she was hosting. He also recounted an incident where she struck another boy over the head with a shovel. White stated, “Basically, she was okay at first but then she would just lose her temper and pick up anything at hand and strike the young boys.”

Mrs Chandler did not attend the disciplinary hearing held in Central London. Her solicitor, David Glendinning, informed the UK Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting (UKCC) that her only communication had been a letter sent in December 1999. In this letter, she expressed her devastation over the allegations, which had surfaced after many years, and stated that she was no longer practicing as a nurse and was unable to defend herself.

The professional conduct committee, after a brief deliberation, decided to strike her name off the nursing register immediately. Chairman Philip Pym emphasized that despite her advanced age, Chandler’s conduct had fallen so far below the standards expected of a nurse that there was no alternative but to remove her from the register. The decision was made to protect the public, with the removal pending a three-month period during which she could appeal.

This case has cast a long shadow over the reputation of healthcare professionals in North Yorkshire, highlighting the importance of safeguarding vulnerable children and ensuring accountability within institutions that serve them.