UNITED KINGDOM
Daily Mail
Seven chances to stop teacher-pupil affair: School branded a ‘disgrace’ as campaigners call for head to be sacked
Child protection campaigners slammed Jeremy Forrest’s school as a ‘disgrace’ and called for its head to be sacked for failing to stop his affair with a pupil.
Police also came under fire for not reacting more swiftly after being finally tipped off about the relationship. The delay meant the pair were able to flee to France.
The married 30-year-old’s relationship with a girl half his age was an ‘open secret’ at Bishop Bell C of E school in Eastbourne, friends of the girl claim.
Teachers warned him about his behaviour with the girl seven times over seven months after being repeatedly told by her classmates about what was happening – but never reported it as a suspected crime.
One teacher described the rumours as ‘crazy’ and others were more concerned about the stress they were causing Forrest and the damage they could do to his career than any risk to the schoolgirl.
Even the girl mocked the school’s efforts to stop their affair, telling police after Forrest’s arrest that while teachers warned them about their behaviour, ‘they never really did a full investigation into what was going on’.
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