Ridiculous abuse of the sex offences legislation

Yesterday the General Secretary of the Womens Teaching Union, Chris Keates, made some controversial remarks and set the cat among a variety of pigeons. She suggested that teachers who have relationships with pupils over the age of consent are punished excessively by being charged with a criminal offence, sometimes jailed and put on the sex offenders register.



My only complaint about Ms Keates remarks is that they were not forcible enough. I think the situation we have of people being criminalised for something they could legitimately do with anyone they are not in the position of teaching, is ludicrous, crazy and in itself, criminal.

Of course the supporters of the current legislation will argue that the teachers are in a position of responsibility and are in a position to influence the vulnerable etc etc etc. Well I think that is so much bullshit and insults the intelligence of the young people involved.

Now I certainly think that teachers who do breach their position of trust with pupils should be dismissed and maybe not allowed to teach, certainly for a period of time - but criminalised, certainly not!! And as for the use of the sex offenders register for nearly every offence which has the vaguest relationship to anyone under the age of eighteen, well that makes me spit teeth. No such register existed in Britain until 2003 but once it was introduced, the authorities seem to regard it as a wonderful panacea for all ills and it is used to ridiculous excess. Certainly putting teachers on it for loving and consensual relationships with a person over 16 is ludicrous.

Yes, Ms Keates is spot on and I hope she is listened to but I have little hope that such will be the case. Britain, you see, is in the grip of child protection zealots who see terrible threats to our children everywhere they turn. And anyone, like Ms Keates, who dares to suggest that measures in place are something of an over reaction are howled down by the mob. You see its only the rights of children that matter - to hell with the rest of us.

Let's remember we are not talking about 11 or 12 year old here, but boys and girls of 16 and 17 who are old enough, and, in many cases, bright enough, to be studying for University. To suggest that they cannot wittingly participate in a loving relationship is plain barmy.

It is great that we have sensible steps in place to protect the children who desperately need it - and there are a lot of those. But the legislation goes way beyond the sensible to a degree where a person's life is ruined for an action which is treated with a degree of ludicrous disproportion.

Someday, I hope a sensible government sits down and looks at the current legislation and its fairness, takes a deep breath and decides to redress the balance a little. It means taking on the zealots who don't have to make a sensible case. They just have to talk about 'betraying our children' and all opposition collapses in a heap. Let's make sure our vulnerable children are protected as they should be but lets strip away some of this stuff that seems to have been added on in a fit of reckless self righteousness.

Teachers are human beings with emotions and feelings like the rest of us. Yes there should be work penalties for giving in to those emotions in a position of responsibility but, provided the partner in all this is above the age of consent, criminal proceedings should not be an option. We seem to have gone slightly stark staring mad on this issue and it's about time our society got dragged back to a position of balanced common sense which used to be our trademark