Runaway Teacher Found Guilty

[DimPrawn]

Im confused by the maths?

30 goes into 15, 8 times?

[SimonMac]

He said "I love you" as the jury returned. What's the story here? Does he love her? Is it reciprocated? Will we see them both on Jeremy Kyle when he gets out?

Sad tangled mess, but he did break the rules.

Forrest turned to the teenager and mouthed "I love you", while the schoolgirl mouthed "I love you".

Forrest then turned and said "I'm ok", to which she replied "I'm so sorry".

So yes it seems reciprocated which would explain:

Radio 4 news last night did mention that the girl was sat nearer his family than hers when the verdict was being read and that she was comforted by "an older woman" not her mother.

As you said, it's a sad tangled mess. The correct verdict was reached but it is hardly a moment for celebration

The "girl" and her mother fell out about 2 months ago.

[bobspud]

Which begs the question, what is the right age ?

Is age the right parameter anyway, I don't recall waking up much more responsible on my 16th, 18th or 50th birthdays.

I'd suggest that I have gone backwards not forwards in this respect

I think this whole mess is condescending to say the least. I can remember we had a music teacher at my school and every girl in the school would have dropped their knickers in a flash. It wasn't the girls that needed protecting from the teacher it was the teacher who was tulip scared. To the point that he always made sure he had a trusted male kid knocking around in the background to keep things safe! Yet a few years later my mates lecturer at Uni had screwed most of the girls on his course...

I think thats a hell of sad position to be in...

[Gibbon]

The Curse of Love

They both seem to be victims of the curse of blinding, burning, frenzied and inappropriate love, the like of which most of us have never encountered.

Her staying loyal reminds me of one of Virgil's greatest lines. Dido, the Queen of Carthage, is in alone in her palace thinking of Aeneas:

illum absens absentem auditque videtque

[Troll]

They both seem to be victims of the curse of blinding, burning, frenzied and inappropriate sex,

FTFY

[Old Hack]

I think 16 is too arbitrary, as not everyone grows up at the same time. It's 14 in Italy and I believe 13 in Spain (or viccy verka).

Even if they were in love, I think he should have realised it was the sweetest taboo.

Hey ho, good looking fella's going to be popular in the evenings.

[mudskipper]

The point is that she is a silly infatuated teenager. He is a silly infatuated adult man who was in a position of responsibility and old enough to know better.

I did wonder if he was inexperienced with women and perhaps mistook lust for love, but as he was married one assumes he wasn't completely naive.

It is a mess - if she'd been a year older, he'd have still abused his position, but he wouldn't be labelled a paedophile.

[Ketchup]

I dont think an arbritary age should be used to determine the legality of sex. The laws surrounding consent should be in place to protect girls (and boys) from exploitation and abuse. I vaguely remember reading somewhere that one country (I forget where) requires parental consent to sleep with a girl under 18 years old.

[doodab]

I dont think an arbritary age should be used to determine the legality of sex. The laws surrounding consent should be in place to protect girls (and boys) from exploitation and abuse. I vaguely remember reading somewhere that one country (I forget where) requires parental consent to sleep with a girl under 18 years old.

That would make for a difficult conversation on parents evening.

[SimonMac]

I think the complexity of the situation is summed up in the charges, it seems he has only been tried, and convicted of abduction, nothing around abuse of trust, or sex with a minor, I assume that would be based on what "The Girl" has said and the likelihood of a conviction, or not.