A Lesson Not Learnt

[vernonk]

Jeremy Forrest mouthing I LOVE YOU in court to the underage pupil he had an affair and absconded to France with shows he either doesn't appreciate what he's done wrong or doesn't care. So IMO he deserves a very long sentence until at the very least he gets it into his thick head why such a relationship is wrong. The fact that the girl apparently responded the same way, also apologising and pledging to wait til he's free is not such a concern as she is an infatuated child. By the time Forrest gets out she may well have moved on, though if she is allowed to visit him in jail that will perpetuate an illicit romance for the Media. I've also been disturbed by glowing references Forrests fellow teachers gave to help his case, which surely condone his actions and therefore also make those teachers unsuitable for their jobs. Surely Forrest should never be allowed anywhere near a school again. what do you think?

[bazwillrun]

"Just don't run away with 15-year-olds"

he didnt did he..he "kidnapped" a willing person her

as I've already said before, total kneejerk overreaction from a legal system thats proven on countless occasions to have forgotten about common sense

[naomi24]

Baz, I agree entirely.

[andy-hughes]

AOG - "I don't think you would have it any different, but you should consider yourself lucky, you have only myself to bother about, whereas myself is constantly attacked by many, and of course I also respond to many of them, not just you alone."

That is indeed true AOG - I have long been an admirer or your tennacity when it comes to your defence of your views.

[jim360]

Mind you, common sense tells you not to run off with a 15-year-old, regardless of your feelings for each other, when you should know that everyone will be looking for you. He showed no common sense either...

[Sipowicz]

I think it was the teacher who forgot about common sense!

[Sqad]

jim...."common sense eh?"...I wish i had a modicum of "common sense" at times.

I suppose that makes me immature........ah! well so be it.

[jno]

///"Just don't run away with 15-year-olds"

he didnt did he..he "kidnapped" a willing person her///

so... which way do you want it? He ran away with her or he kidnapped her?

Don't do either. It's against the law. You'll be sent to jail. You're responsible for your acts. You'll take the consequences.

How hard to understand is this?

[andy-hughes]

Triggs - thanks for your support.

AOG and I a sparring partners of long standing, and in the past have wound each other up to the point of ungentlemanly conduct unbecoming an AB'er.

However, we do always resolve our differences, and we usually retire to neutral corners, calm down, decide to be sensible, and return to debating once again.

I know that we disagree on the bast majority of areas debated, but I do believev there is a large degree of mutual respect for each other's view, and the willingness to defend it.

Sadly, I am not going to be at Glastonbury this year - each year I am invited to attend the Montreal Jazz Festival, where I write reviews and interview musicians. As luck would have it - of the fifty-two weeks of the year to choose from, the organisers of each festival have chosen the same weekend!!!!

So, Montreal it is - I am off next Thursday morning for nine days - can't wait!

[jim360]

I'm told that I'm not exactly the world's leading expert on common sense either, Sqad ... :P

[Sqad]

jim...LOL......LOL

[andy-hughes]

AOG - "Mmmm, Stuart Hall gets 15 months for a series of historical sex attacks on girls as young as nine, and this teacher gets 5½ years??????????"

That is for two reasons - Hall has to be sentenced under the sentencing guidelines in operation at the time of his offences - hence his sentence, which is being considered for review as being too lenient.

As far as Forrest is concerned, his sentence is doing what the majority of sentences are designed to do, which is act as a deterrant for potential future offenders.

[mushroom25]

read the sentencing remarks here
http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/Resources/JCO/Documents/Judgments/sentencing-remarks-hhj-lawson-qc-r-v-forrest.pdf

[anotheoldgit]

naomi24

/// I think these two committed the heinous crime of falling in love. What a pity they didn’t wait until she’d left school before taking it further. Very sad case. ///

Exactly what I have been saying, and for what I have been lambasted for saying.

[naomi24]

True, his common sense was lacking - but with her saying if their affair was discovered she'd kill herself, I can imagine his mind was in a bit of a quandary. He's not the first to have made bad choices and he won't be the last. If only we were all infallible, as some here seem to be, we'd have a perfect world.

[Sqad]

naomi......well said.

[andy-hughes]

Sobering stuff mushroom - but as i averred to AOG, part of the sentence length is designed to deter anyone else from such abhorrent behaviour.

[jim360]

Well, it's always easy to judge from the sidelines certainly. He made a number of mistakes, and the running off to France was only the latest, but at each point he mightn't have known what he was getting himself into. The case against him becomes more and more disturbing as you read more into this. He lied to teachers who raised suspicions, and heaped blame on the girl for "spreading lies", apparently.

On the other hand, he was seeking help from depression -- and in itself that suggests that he wasn't totally in control of what happened. I'm uncomfortable with labelling him a paedophile, or grooming the girl, or similar. Just a silly, silly man. Which is what you said earlier, and in general I agree with you Naomi.

[naomi24]

Sqad, thank you. This holier than thou stuff makes me sick! I've rarely witnessed such a complete lack of understanding.

[Sipowicz]

It seems the teacher is not the only one lacking common sense.

[jim360]

While we're all fallible, we're also all guilty of being holier-than-thou at times...