teacher who has run off to France with his 15 year old pupil - thread 2

[shesariver]

Original thread has reached 1000 messages and cant see another one so hope IANBU to start this, stuck at work and wondering what the press conference has said?

The Crimewatch piece was first up, but short an very much focussed on an appeal from her father, both to Megan directly and also to the wider public to report any information (no matter how slight) about the pair's intentions, and to be on the look out for his car.

Do you have a 15 year old daughter RancerDoo?

It is just disgusting, how can he possible behave like he does. Taking advantage of such a young girl, and running away like that, it sounds so childish, but the worse is how long the police is taking to locate them. I would expect them to be traced immediately, their picture is everywhere. And you need a passport to cross Dover to Calais, if they do not live by the port, I would expect the police to have been notified of her disappereance before they crossed the channel, or at least when they were close to Calais.
I hope he turns himself in SOON.
Poor parents, and all the families involved.

They do live quite near to the port, Lydia. And it was impossible for the police to have been notified any sooner, because her own mother didn't know she was missing until she got a text from school on the Friday saying Megan hadn't arrived.

How would you expect them to be located immediately? There are less CCTV cameras in France, they have not used cash machines, credit or debit cards. There has been mass media coverage. I am not sure what else they could be doing!

No, but I do have a fifteen year old niece and two daughters.
And I remember how it was to be fifteen.
What I am saying is that I cannot see her coming home of her own volition with the current level of coverage. Ok, someone might spot them, wherever they are but then it is an entirely separate question as to whether local police will act. If they manage to arrest him all well and good, but I do not think it is that hard to hide. I doubt this level of coverage will help the situation in this case.

"However, I wonder if the French police were a bit more proactive in looking for them, wether the warrant would have been issued."

The French have no responsibility to look for her, because what they have done is legal in France.

The police had to issue a European arrest warrant because their French counterparts were refusing to look for them and stated that they wouldn't be stopped.

The warrant is the only way that the British police can get a fast response from other countries which have different laws. There seems to be a sense of urgency, as even his father is worried about what he might do there is very good reason to believe that both of these individuals are in danger to this mans volatile personality. They need to catch them before he does anything, regardless of what approach they take he is expected to do something. It's not an 'if', it's a 'when', going softly, softly won't stop them at the borders, an EU arrest warrant most likely will do.

I think all the press coverage will be making things much worse. She will be terrified and terrified her lover will face jail. In France 15 is the age of consent, 14 in Germany, 13 (if I remember rightly) in Spain. Several European countries have similar laws. A 15 year old and a 30 year old is not unheard of on the continent. Don't get me wrong, I would be very concerned if this were my daughter and the teacher has grossly abused his position of trust, but I think all this coverage and front page news is out of hand.

I wonder if the need for a warrant is rooted in admin. Befor a warrant, the French authorities saw it as a misper, so were on the look out but not investigating. The warrant (I think - anyone know better) means they can now investigate more actively.

Of course, who knows if they are still in France, or even Europe?

I'm wondering what they are doing for money. If he had news of suspension on Wednesday and they left on Thursday, that's not long to get cash together.

thing is, they 'ran away' on Friday, it was Monday before the press were informed. Obviously the authorities tried to find them and bring htem home quietly.

It doesn't matter that their relationship wouldn't be illegal in other countries, it matters that it was in the UK and he broke the law taking her out of the country without her parents' consent - he's broken Enlglish laws, EU countries do have a duty to arrest and return him - it doesn't matter that it would be ok in their country. it works the other way too, if someone breaks a law in France or Spain, then ran to the UK, even if the same action would be completely legal in the UK, if Spainish/French authorities requested their extradition we would hand them over.

I take the point that him being a teacher makes it worse, but I am not sure it makes me feel better about this. It's almost as if we are horrified by this chiefly because it could affect us, whereas the problems of say children in children's homes would not.

Would be interesting to see what happens legally if they are found - there are some intricacies regarding the situation in which what you've done is illegal in the country that wants you but not in the country that you are in. Plus, I get a feeling that the attitudes to this sort of thing on the Continent are somewhat more relaxed.

Hard hat on the ready but I have thought since last weekend that there is no way back for Mr Forrest and that the reason there have been no confirmed sightings of the couple or the car is that he has arranged with her a suicide pact?
I just pray that I am wrong BUT?

Pippla, that's what I've been thinking too. Hope we're both wrong.

SkippyYourFriendEverTrue well they are not french thank god taking a british child across borders with out the parents consent is agaisnt not the law.

MammaTJisWearingGold because sadly noboday thinks a 15 with a 30 year old is a big deal until its there child

Child like those children up north feck all was done about it

All these people saying its young love well we shall see when their child brings home mr smith aged 45 aka there english teacher for dinner

Aramis i dont think it is i dont think any french parent would be feeling "relaxed" if there daughter ran off with a 30 year old man To devon after months of sexual facebook chat

pippala I'l join you under that hard hat - it had crossed my mind and I feel so so sad for the families concerned. Megan may be in'love' but she is still a young girl who I suppose is emotional immature and will at some stage come to miss her family.

If this does go all tits up (more than it has already) then no doubt a big enquiry into safeguarding procedures at schools - not necessarily policy but the way schools implement it. Any school can have a brilliant policy but its worth nothing if you don't follow it .

Feel so sad for both sets of parents and this man's wife.

His mother was just in bits at that conference yesterday, just wanted to give her a big hug and say it will all get sorted despite what he has done.

And her parents too.....saw her Dad on Crimewatch last night.

I have a 15 yur old niece and would be just horrified if this was her because at 15 they just are not mature enough to cope despite any bravado.

As the European arrest warrant has been issued, if they are found in any EU country he can be arrested. Not intricate; standard procedure.

Of course they may no longer be in EU or even in Europe.

Thing is that Megan could have changed her appearance, she could look much older in make up and if that's the case who is going to especially notice what they might think is a young couple.

If all his money is in banks etc then am guessing that will be frozen. It will then depend on whether he can find cash in hand work.

What happens I'd they stay hidden until she is 16 and not a minor any more; would that change things legally? I can't think where else this could go otherwise-surely they can't plan to hide forever.

I think we should all stop talking & writing about it. Let the police look for them. I do not think they will come back with all the media coverage. I think it will only drive them further away. Maybe make them do something stupid.

Not really,or rather, depends where. If they are found in EU he'll be arrested irrespective of how long it takes. The crime on the warrant appears to be the abduction of a minor; that doesn't change because time passes. And of course as he was her teacher, the UK age of consent that applies is 18 not 16.

But if they have gone beyond that area, then the underpinning admin will be different.

well apparently they've been spotted in Paris shopping, so the media interest getting their faces known might be proved as the right course of action.

Pipala, I felt the same as you, I hope we are wrong, I really do. He just doesn't strike me as the 'facing the music' type. poor girl, fancy being stuck in a foreign country with a man like that.

They will come back his money will only last f or so long his wife has most likey stopped bank accounts that sort of thing he wont be able to get work because of the covrage

So most likey they will end ip busking or homelss she will then come home