THE allegations of sexual abuse made against a former head teacher of a Newport primary school are shocking.


As we revealed yesterday, a former pupil at Malpas Church in Wales School claims ex-head teacher Jon Styler regular abused boys at the school in the 1970s.


Mr Styler killed himself in 2007 while on police bail after he was arrested over similar allegations.


Today we report how a senior member of teaching staff at the school reported his concerns at the time to the church, governors, unions and the local education authority.


He claims he was effectively warned off and that nothing was done about the allegations.


There have been a number of high profile court cases in recent years concerning similar offences in the 1970s. The allegations against Mr Styler bear the same hallmarks of people in authority refusing to believe the claims of children.


Other former pupils at the school have come forward since our report yesterday to make similar allegations.


Mr Styler, of course, is not alive and therefore cannot defend himself. We are well aware of that.


But there are people who were in positions of authority in the Newport education system in the 1970s who are alive and well.


We urge them to come forward and tell the public what they knew of these allegations, if anything.


If Mr Styler committed such offences he was undoubtedly aided by a culture of silence. That must end now.