[Sportschosun reporter Jang Jong-ho] A former female teacher in the United Kingdom is on trial over allegations that she sexually abused a 10-year-old boy over several years, shocking the public.
The victim claimed that the teacher made him believe they were lovers before repeatedly having sex with him.
According to local media, including the Daily Mail, A, 65, who worked as a teacher at a school in Hertfordshire, was charged with eight counts of indecent assault against a boy under 14 between 1991 and 1995.
Prosecutors said A first met the victim when he was 9 and, after becoming his homeroom teacher and later his private tutor, formed a close relationship with him. She then carried out repeated sexual abuse over several years.
The victim, now in his 40s, told police that there were "too many sexual contacts to count" and that he "believed at the time that she and I were in a romantic relationship." He added, "It was not until I was around 14 that I started to think something was wrong."
Family members and friends of the victim also testified in court.
The victim's older sister testified that one day, when she entered the room, A was reading to her younger brother while lying under the same bed covers. She described A as "fun and charismatic" and said the whole family got along well with her.
Friends of the victim also told the court that the relationship between the two went beyond that of a normal teacher and student.
One friend said he saw the two holding hands at school events and, at home, sitting close together on the sofa while watching television on several occasions.
However, A denied the allegations, saying, "It's all lies, and I can't understand why they are telling such horrible stories," and added, "I barely remember the student."
A is currently denying all eight counts of indecent assault against a boy under 14, and the trial is ongoing.
Jang Jong-ho, bellho@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
