Overview

• John Allen, founder of the Bryn Alyn children’s homes, died in HMP Bure on May 3, 2025, at age 83 while serving a life sentence for decades of sexual abuse.
• Allen was convicted in 2014 and 2019 of numerous sex offences against children in his care homes, which operated from 1968 to the 1990s.
• The Prison and Probation Ombudsman has launched an investigation into the circumstances of Allen’s death in custody, as is standard procedure.
• Allen’s operations at Bryn Alyn exposed systemic safeguarding failures, with survivors describing a culture of grooming, fear, and abuse.
• Organizations like the NSPCC have reiterated calls for reforms in child-protection systems following Allen's death and the long history of abuse he perpetrated.