By Richard Garner, Education Editor
Chris Keates could be forgiven if she woke up this morning and wondered whether it had been a good idea to tell a TV programme that she believed there should be a change in the law relating to prosecuting teachers who have affairs with pupils above the age of consent in their schools.
Headlines like "Don't Charge Teachers Over Sex With Pupils" didn't exactly spell out what it was the general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers was trying to say.
In an interview with the ITV I "Tonight" programme, she said it was an "anomaly" that a teacher could face prosecution and being placed on the Sex Offenders Register for having an affair with a pupil over the age of consent at their own school - but face no sanction whatsoever if the affair was with a similar aged pupil down the road.
She made the point that the action was still gross professional misconduct which was likely to lead to the sack and the prospect of being debarred from teaching but that to then go on and bring a criminal charge for what could be a stupid mistake was "a step too far".
In a rational climate, we could debate that. Sadly, though, those newspapers most likely to promote pictures of scantily clad women - and sometimes also showing girls in school uniform - will not allow that.
My nineteen year old grandson has today been put on the sex offenders register for 10 years for having sex with his under age (15 yr old) girlfriend. They are together and have a 5 month old son, who they both love dearly. They are together and very happy.
Misguided perhaps! They intend to marry when she is sixteen in a few months time. His punishment - 9 months suspended prison sentence for 18 months and almost 200hrs of community service along with 10 years as a sex pervert. He's now classed as being worse than Gary Glitter! His girlfriend is not a child! Relationship was and is consensual! Seems you can stab someone in the street during a drunken brawl and end up with a small fine!
Posted by: Fiona | Thursday, 06 November 2008 at 10:35 PM