Families of victims of paedophile nursery worker Vincent Chan have demanded an immediate independent examination of how a 2021 complaint against him was handled, saying they are heartbroken but above all furious at the failure to protect their children.
As first revealed in the Guardian, Chan was reported to his employer, the nursery chain Bright Horizons, by a concerned parent in 2021. After an investigation by Bright Horizons, conducted with the knowledge of Camden council, Chan was cleared to return to work at the nursery on the Finchley Road in north-west London. A year later, in 2022, he filmed himself abusing three-year-old girls in his care.
"I feel a level of anger that I can barely put into words," said one mother, whose daughter's images were found on Chan's personal devices after his arrest. "In 2021, around the time serious concerns had been raised about Vincent Chan, he was made my daughter's key worker. We trusted him with her most intimate care, believing she was safe. Knowing there was a chance to stop him before he had such extensive access to her is unbearable."
The families, represented by the law firm Leigh Day, are calling for a "full and independent account of what happened, who knew what, when they knew it and why these decisions were made." Leigh Day is representing 50 families affected by Chan's abuse.
Parents had been promised answers through a safeguarding review led by an independent reviewer appointed by Camden council, but many expressed fury that they only learned the review had been pushed back to 2027 through the Guardian's reporting.
"Expressions of regret are meaningless," the parents said in a statement. "Families deserve the truth about what happened, accountability for the decisions that were made, and action to make sure this cannot happen again. We cannot wait until 2027 for answers."