26 Year old Teacher jailed for lesbian sex with 15 year old

Mr_Deeds

I agree with the Gillick competence argument but not in this context. I think we would be setting a very dangerous precedent if we said that all reasonably competent children could consent to intercourse with their teachers. :smile:

Indeed, there are subtleties of the argument specific to this situation, however I was going more for baiting him on the general point of "there's a reason for the age of consent' :smile:

Reply 42

Prudy

inksplodge

Well it'd be different IMO- I highly doubt that a 16 year old would be responsible for the 15 year old like this teacher was. The 15 & 16 year olds are likely to be similar in terms of life experience & maturity than a 15 & 26 year old, too. :dontknow:

I'm aware of the issues of responsibility/ position of trust, however you merely said 15/26 was wrong. Also, why is similarity in life experience a mitigating factor in sexual relationships? Indeed, 30/40 year old relationships barely bat an eyelid, yet there life experience will be different.

Reply 43

Prudy

AntiMonarchist

But does she really understand what´s happening?
She may think that she does, but at that age children (and they are children) can be very vulnerable and easy prey for paedophiles who make them feel loved and wanted.
Yes maybe there are some mature 15 year olds who do really understand what they want, but in the best interests of the majority of teens I think it´s right that the age of consent remains. I mean surely if this 26 year old teacher loved this girl so much she´d wait a few months until she turned 16.

She'd have to wait until the child turned 18.

Indeed, the majority argument is potentially convincing, however it doesn't necessarily answer the question of whetehr the age of consent should be at 1. To be fair, I'm not really fully engaged in this debate so I very much doubt I will continue to argue, save for picking up on obviously silly points.

Reply 44

Mr_Deeds

slightlyoddchild

i thought (according to the bill, a long time ago :P) they couldnt prosecute if the child refused and was over 13, if they were under 13 they had no choice but if they were over and didnt want to press charges then they didnt have to get a jail sentence....
maybe its becuase she was a teacher.
or maybe the bill isnt accurate (which would make me sad)

It's statutory rape if the child is younger than thirteen; i.e. rape irrespective of consent. If the child is between 13 and 16 then it's causing sexual activity with a child; less severe but still has a pretty hefty sentence. This case, however, has the extra factor of "abuse of position of trust".

And sorry Prudy, lol. :o:

Reply 45

Dionysus

OP

inksplodge

15 year old + 26 year old, regardless of gender/sexuality, is wrong IMO. :dontknow:

Also, the teacher abused their position. If they WERE in love surely they would have waited until the pupil had finished at the school?

Yeah and sure it's wrong and as a teacher she shouldn't have done it. She shouldn't be allowed to teach in the future, but she didn't groom this girl, she didn't even start the relationship. A prison sentence is just over the top.

Reply 46

inksplodge

17

Prudy

I'm aware of the issues of responsibility/ position of trust, however you merely said 15/26 was wrong. Also, why is similarity in life experience a mitigating factor in sexual relationships? Indeed, 30/40 year old relationships barely bat an eyelid, yet there life experience will be different.

I'm just talking about in general - the 15 year old isn't even an adult yet! I'd have no problem if they were 25 and 36, for example. To be in a relationship with a 26 year old at that age just doesn't seem right to me, especially as that 26 year old was in a position of trust. :dontknow:

Even if she didn't start the relationship she should've stopped it/not taken it any further... She surely would have known it could potentially destroy her career?

Reply 47

DisgruntledMoth

Such ********. People in clearly consensual relationships with other consenting people, found true by a court of law, shouldn't be made to sign the 'sex offenders register'. It makes me think of a case in the US, where a 19 year old who'd had sex with his 16 year old girlfriend and put on the register was shot dead by a vigilante.

I can completely understand how two people with such a similar interest as music, which runs deep in the passions of people, could cause a teacher and student to feel affectionate towards one another. We don't suddenly snap into concious beings capable of consent at the age of 16 or 18, and if you've forgotten that already you will be one of those adults who pushes the youth away with one hand while wrapping them in cotton wool with the other.

Reply 48

technik

sounds like a lenient sentence to me. That sort of thing can't be allowed to happen. Goes against the trust and impartiality required of teachers and it's also relations with an underage/minor.

Reply 49

paddyman4

Well it's the teacher's own fault. Surely she's seen enough news stories to decide it might be best to wait until the girl is 16, and change schools so she is no longer her teacher, and then everything would be fine and dandy. Everyone is saying that it was love, but if it was then surely she could have the restraint to do this. If a man whisked a 15 year old girl off to a foreign country to spend a weekend having sex, he'd probably be lynched.

Although funny that in most other European countries this wouldn't have been such a big deal. The age of consent is 13 in Spain I think.

Reply 50

paddyman4

DisgruntledMoth

Such ********. People in clearly consensual relationships with other consenting people, found true by a court of law, shouldn't be made to sign the 'sex offenders register'. It makes me think of a case in the US, where a 19 year old who'd had sex with his 16 year old girlfriend and put on the register was shot dead by a vigilante.

I can completely understand how two people with such a similar interest as music, which runs deep in the passions of people, could cause a teacher and student to feel affectionate towards one another. We don't suddenly snap into concious beings capable of consent at the age of 16 or 18, and if you've forgotten that already you will be one of those adults who pushes the youth away with one hand while wrapping them in cotton wool with the other.

The issue is probably more about the breach of trust. Anyway, as you imply, some people at that age will be capable of making such decisions, some won't. The line has to be drawn somewhere, and it is best to draw it on the older rather than younger side, such that few people can legally be taken advantage of. The teacher knew where the line was, and having such little restraint shows that she is not the kind of person you want teaching kids.

Reply 51

salad_fingers

16

I don't know what my opinion is on this to be honest, like people have said, them being lesbian has something to do with it, it just seems a little bit less weird to me than if it had been a 26 year old man. I know that thats probably wrong but hey :/

I think that 15 months is a bit much in any case. I think her being fired would have been the appropriate punishment.

Reply 52

nickh300

A 26 year old, presumably an open and experienced lesbian, shared that level of intimacy with a 15 year old girl? Thats just wrong! At 15, she may not be fully sure of her sexuality, so it seems that the teacher is taking advantage. And theres an 11 year gap between them? This is disgusting. The sentence is justified. Had it been a man with a girl that age, the nation would be calling for his head on a stick, so why should a woman be treated any differently?

Shameful.

Reply 53

adamrules247

20

xTazx

I don't disagree with you OP, but would the same have been said if the teacher was a 26 year old man and the student a 15 year old girl? Just a thought.

This. I hate to see everyone on these forum banging on about compassion. The teacher knew it was against the rules.

Reply 54

Joel4fun4u

Very sexy stuff. It's nice to see some girlies other than Harman making the news once in a while.

Reply 55

Blátönn

3

Dionysus

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8266780.stm

She got 15 months in prison. Does anyone else think this is a staggering over-reaction? According to the article, the two are genuinely in love and this sexual relationship was not only consensual but initiated by the 15 year old.

Certainly she should be banned from teaching and working with children because she did arguably abuse a position of trust, but common sense tells us that this really isn't child abuse. With violent criminals getting shorter sentences and our jails full, I believe this is totally unnecessary.

A 26 year-old-man would get jail and everyone would be outraged. Same with a woman.

Reply 56

Libtolu

Dionysus

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8266780.stm

She got 15 months in prison. Does anyone else think this is a staggering over-reaction? According to the article, the two are genuinely in love and this sexual relationship was not only consensual but initiated by the 15 year old.

Certainly she should be banned from teaching and working with children because she did arguably abuse a position of trust, but common sense tells us that this really isn't child abuse. With violent criminals getting shorter sentences and our jails full, I believe this is totally unnecessary.

I think this is highly hypocritical

If this was a 26yr old man and 15yr old girl then he would be put away for much much longer than she got, he would be put away 5/6 yrs.

Reply 57

Libtolu