A teacher allegedly tied a boy to her bed and blindfolded him before a sex act, a trial has heard. Deborah Franklin, 65, who worked as a teacher at a school in Hertfordshire, denies eight counts of gross indecency against the boy when he was aged between nine and 12 in the 1990s.
Allegations of Abuse
Franklin, trusted by the boy's family, became his private tutor and allegedly subjected him to “repeated sexual activity”, jurors were told. Prosecutors at St Albans Crown Court claim that she took her clothes off in front of the boy, kissed him, got him to touch her and performed multiple sexual acts at his house and also at hers. Franklin, of Radlett, Hertfordshire, denies this took place, saying she does not even remember tutoring the boy in question.
Prosecution's Case
Prosecutor Gavin Pottinger said the complainant alleged that on one occasion Franklin called out her husband’s name during a sex act. Mr Pottinger also said that other people had seen the woman in his bed at his house with “no work being done”. During his closing argument, Mr Pottinger said to the jurors: “Have you heard any real reason for him to make this up?”
He went on to say that the “world has changed” from when the sex crimes are alleged to have occurred, adding that people were more “trusting” back then. He continued that Franklin was often at the boy’s house, adding: “You know she was trusted because she was up there in the bedroom without an adult.” The prosecutor explained to jurors that she was a woman “whose boundaries were just not there”.
Defence's Arguments
Defence barrister Aisling Byrnes said in her closing argument: “Sadly we know that from time to time people make allegations, even forceful, repeated, vigorous allegations that are simply not true.” The barrister stated that the complainant’s account of things has “too many difficulties” and “too much inherent unlikelihood”. She urged the jurors to consider when a “busy” teacher could have taken “the opportunity to carry out this sexual abuse”, adding: “How on earth did it happen?”
Ms Byrnes also said that the members of the complainant’s family were often at home, adding: “It’s so unlikely that anything happened in that bedroom.” She said: “There was nothing to stop (the complainant) complaining about this to everyone and anyone.” The defence barrister later added: “This is, in essence, at heart a case of one person’s word against another.”
Judge's Directions
Judge Kamran Choudhry, giving his legal directions to the jury, said that prosecutors say the complainant, now in his 40s, has “consistently recounted the substance of the allegations over many years to many people.” The complainant reported the woman to police in 2024, the court heard. The judge said: “(The prosecution) say those disclosures are broadly consistent with the account he now gives.”
He added that the defence’s case is that Franklin’s relationship with her former pupil was “entirely proper” and not “unusually close and inappropriate”. The defendant, giving evidence on Monday, told jurors it was “quite common for teachers and parents and children to socially interact”.
Defendant's Testimony
The court was also told that Franklin had informed police during an interview that she could not recall tutoring the boy, but that “little bits have come back” from looking at old photographs of him and chatting with her legal team. She added: “Things pop into your mind, I’ve had a long time to think about it.”
Mr Pottinger asked: “Did you in fact remember (the boy) a good deal more than you are admitting to?” The defendant replied: “No.” Mr Pottinger asked: “You are choosing, still choosing, not to remember anything that happened in those years aren’t you?” Franklin replied: “No.”
Ms Byrnes asked the defendant if there was “any truth” in the allegations that she sexually touched the boy during tutoring sessions. Franklin replied: “No.” The defendant told jurors that it would not have been “unusual” to be in a pupil's bedroom or on their bed while tutoring them. Mr Pottinger told jurors on Tuesday that Franklin “is not telling you the truth”.
