UK: Almost 1,000 teachers accused of having affairs with pupils in last five years but only a quarter faced criminal charges

Teachers' union leader Christine Blowe said the
speed of investigations was vital to avoid
'misunderstandings and malicious allegations'

Almost 1,000 teachers have been accused of having a relationship with a pupil in the last five years, according to figures released today.

Of these, just over one in four faced police charges over the abuse allegations.

The figures, obtained by BBC Newsbeat, show that between 2008 and 2013, at least 959 teachers and other school staff were accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a pupil.

At least 254 of these cases (26 per cent) led to a police charge, the findings show, although it is not clear how many of these charges ultimately resulted in convictions.

The past few months have seen a number of high-profile cases of teachers convicted of abusing their pupils.  (more...)

UK: Almost 1,000 teachers accused of having affairs with pupils in last five years but only a quarter faced criminal charges