Former teacher arrested in historic child abuse case at North-East children’s centre

AN ex-social services chief has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting youngsters at a North-East children’s centre that has housed some of the UK’s most notorious juvenile criminals. Rod Ryall, aged 67, was a live-in house master at Aycliffe Approved School, off the A167, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, in the Sixties. He was taken into custody last week as part of an ongoing investigation into historical allegations of sexual assault at the school. A police spokesman confirmed: “We can confirm inquiries are under way into allegations of sexual assault, said to have taken place at the Aycliffe Children’s Centre in the Sixties. As a result, a 67-year-old man was arrested in the West Yorkshire area last week and interviewed by officers from Durham. He was subsequently released on police bail until mid-July, pending further investigations.” Mr Ryall, who holds a PhD from Cambridge and has spent much of his career working with children and young people, is believed to be the only former staff member suspected in connection with these allegations. All claims are said to be historical. The article details his career including his role as a director of social services for Calderdale, work on child protection, and his involvement with the controversial Aycliffe Secure Services, which has a history of allegations of brutality and abuse, though not all allegations have been proven. The center had high-profile visits and was once praised, but also faced accusations of operating an illegal prison-like regime. In 2001, a former staff member was jailed for abuse against boys, and in the 1990s, government reports criticized the facility for its treatment of inmates. The police investigation is ongoing, and Ryall remains on police bail as of the last update.