I'll have to precis this as it's a really long story.
My DN was very shy and had been bullied at school; she's tall and has curly hair, apparently outside the pale with the petite, hair-straightened in crowd. She's bookish and serious minded though full of fun at home. Her parents are quite strict but very supportive of her as the youngest in the family.
Her elder brother had been successfully involved with a school club and the teacher invited DN to join when she was 15, and she did really well. After the bullying her parents were glad and encouraged her to continue to participate. She blossomed and teacher said he would be happy to continue mentoring when she left to attend another 6th form, now aged 16. She went back regularly in her own time, getting lifts there and back from her parents who sought out teacher to thank him for his continuing support.
Well, as you gathered, he was grooming her until she was 16. He'd talked about how alike they were, how they both saw through the superficialities of others and their mundane lives. They would challenge what others saw as normal and right and live by their own rules. they met up for coffee, but she shouldn't say as 'they' would not understand. Etc etc.
You can guess the rest, he had access to school premises after hours and he had unprotected sex with her, even though she told him she did not want to. Then persuaded her that they were in a relationship and only what 'they' would think stopped him being open. It continued on several occasions.She was manipulated and totally in thrall, (she's as ashamed of that power he had over her as of anything else)
Then DN discovered he was having a relationship with a friend of her older brother's, who had left the area but returned often. She saw too that he was doing what he had done to her, with a younger girl. She came forward, told her family, the school, the police.
Her parents confronted him and he admitted it all, went sick and left the area. we also discovered his wife was very young when they married, 16 or 17. We don't know if we made a mistake by not speaking out but DN was so ashamed and hurt. Rumour blamed her for his leaving, he is charismatic and extremely popular.
He has now said he is not guilty, as there is a loophole in the law that has not been tested, in that he had no duty of care as she attended another school, (chosen on his advice ). The CPS are going ahead on charges of breach of trust. We trusted in the law, in the system and wish we had bayed for his blood in the street.
We are on suicide watch, she stays at home or with DP and I. She is silent, she tries to hurt herself, she can't make any plans re uni, she just is raw and heartbroken.
Please don't tell me about the cases where teachers and pupils fall in love, I know this happens. This piece of scum set out to groom this child and she's breaking down before us. She can't access full on counselling in case it proceeds to court so we flounder around, encourage her to talk, give her space, we don't know what is best.
So why am I posting? Can someone with some knowledge tell us, should we expose him? Would it hurt her case? If the loophole stands should we pursue a civil case?
I think she will give up if the law does say he did nothing wrong.
(Have name changed and I am sorry for this ramble but we are all at the end of our tether.)