Too feel devastated for the wife of the teacher who has run off to France with his 15 year old pupil?

[chipsandmushypeas]

What on earth went through his head when he decided to do this?! The poor woman has taken all her social networks down out of humiliation I presume. link

Crazy.

As I said upthread yesterday, I have no sympathy whatsoever for this man. What he has done prima facie makes him a sex offender.

Amongst the published photos of Megan are ones which show clearly she is not pre-pubescent.

Of course most people here would be sickened by his actions, just because people are pointing out that the word paedophile is being used wrongly here doesn't mean they support him....

What does it matter whether or not mrsunshine is a man [baffled]

No-one is saying what he did is ok, or making any excuses for it. Everyone thinks he should be charged.

People are only suggesting that it is appropriate to use the correct terminology, and "paedophile" is defined as "sexual interest in prepubescent children"

There are other terms for sexual interest in older children.

Hebephilia is the primary sexual interest in 11?14 year old pubescents.

Ephebophilia is interest in mid-to-late adolescents (15?19).

When accusing people of crimes, it's best to get the terminology correct.

Paedophilia is a psychiatric disorder in which people over the age of 16 are sexually attracted to prepubescent children. Obviously, puberty onset varies, but it's generally considered to be under 13. There abuser must be more than 5 years older than the child to be diagnosed as a peadophile.

This blokes a scum bag, but he's not a paedophile.

What does my genitalia have to do with my grasp of language?

There The

All this stuff of ' he's not a paedophile ' sounds like you're making excuses for him.

Only if you're a moron. And can't read.

pumpkinsweetieTue 25-Sep-12 11:22:29Fgs it is illegal to have sexual intercourse with someone under 16. I cannot believe people are putting the needs of this teacher over the welfare over an impressionable young Girl.

Where has one single poster put this man's 'needs' over her welfare?
Everyone has said how wrong it is. Whatever the circumstances he should never have got involved with her. Megan is the victim here.

All this stuff of ' he's not a paedophile ' sounds like you're making excuses for him

Oh please. Non one is excusing him, just saying give him a kicking by all means but don't misuse the English language and drag in irrelevant accusations to do it. Competitive outrage is so tedious.

He's a vile, predatory, creep who has abused his position of trust to take advantage of a young girl, but he's not a paedophile.

As she's 15 now he may not technically be a paedophile but she would have been 11 when she first went to that school. Or younger, they take them from nursery age at Bishop Bell.

The key thing for the welfare of the girl now is to get her back safely.

Bandying the loaded term paedophile is more likely to hinder than help persuade them to return. And it's inaccurate for this case anyhow.

Of course I don't know when either of them first met, but was just saying.

bishop bell surely is a senior school

"He is a peadophile pure and simple whether people want to hear it or not. "

Errrr, no, he isn't.

If the girl turned 16 tomorrow, all of this would be legal (if he were not her teacher, granted) You don't just stop being a paedophile when the clock strikes midnight on the eve of a 16th birthday.

I suggest you look up the word paedophile. Any dictionary worth its salt will tell you that sexual attraction to pre-pubescent children (from the POV of an adult over 16) constitutes paedophilia. He is guilty of unlawful sex (if indeed they have had this kind of relationship. ick) but not of paedophilia.

I think the word paedophile is so emotive and misused that a fair few dense people use it when it is not correct.

I had no idea he was married. If I thought it was bad before, it's even worse now. What on earth was he THINKING? I hope to god the two of them don't decide a suicide pact is preferable to coming back and unpicking this all. What an unholy mess.

And just because he's not a paedophile does not mean he's not a criminal. We DON'T know what's happened although most of us can guess, but if there's been sexual contact then he has broken the law on at least two counts - having sex with a minor & abusing a position of trust.

Poor Megan. I bet it felt like a grand, romantic adventure as she set off with him, as things often do when you're 15. Bet the only person she really wants now is her mum :(

slarty

It takes them from 0-18. I had a look at the website.

no, i did too. it is not 0 to 18, it is 11 to sixth form,

www.eastsussex.gov.uk/educationandlearning/schools/secondary/bishop8454610.htm

The home page is advertising funded nursery places. I assumed it had a junior school too, my mistake.

Even though, he could have known her since she was 11.

What is the need to look at the school website bit odd to me

They have nursery opening hours on their calander. But what has that got to do with anything?

This was the page I looked at (linked from the page you posted slarty )

www.bishopbell.edutechhosting.co.uk/Home1/

Without wanting to go into it too much because it is vile to think about, surely if he was paedophile and had been grooming her since she was 11, his interest in her would have waned as she reached puberty?

I don't profess to know much about the minds of peadophiles though, thankfully.