A former chemistry teacher has been convicted of sexually abusing two teenage pupils at an all-boys school in north London during the late 1980s. Sally-Anne Bowen, who taught at Christ’s College in Finchley, was found guilty of seven counts of indecent assault following a trial at Harrow Crown Court.
The 65-year-old was convicted by majority verdicts on Thursday after jurors deliberated for six hours and 29 minutes. Bowen, who was in her mid-20s when the alleged offending took place, was accused of having sexual relationships with two boys who were aged around 14 and 15 at the time.
She stood in the dock wearing a black skirt, purple shirt and black blazer as the verdicts were delivered, showing little emotion.
Complainants' testimony
One of the complainants told the court he had sex with Bowen "about 20 or 30 times" over several months. The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said he would visit Bowen at her home, regarded her as his girlfriend and had fallen in love with her.
He said he kept the relationship secret because he believed he had to protect his teacher and had been repeatedly told not to tell anyone. "I never, ever spoke to anyone about it," he told jurors. "I was always really aware, she drummed it into me."
He later said: "Years she got to teach because I remained silent." The second complainant told the court that he and Bowen kissed once in a cafe after other boys had goaded him into doing so.
Evidence from former pupils
Jurors also heard evidence from former pupils about Bowen's conduct and behaviour towards students at the school. Former pupil Tobias Oliver, who said he did not know either of the two complainants, described Bowen as behaving more like a teenage student than a teacher.
He told the court she dressed in a way he considered "sexually provocative" and was "very flirtatious" with pupils. Mr Oliver said Bowen had no boundaries and "felt more like trying to be one of us, like our friend, than a teacher".
He also claimed conversations in chemistry lessons sometimes became sexual. On one occasion, he said, a pupil brought a book he believed was the Kama Sutra into class. Bowen allegedly looked through it and discussed sexual positions with students, and the incident became a focus of the class.
Mr Oliver also described an occasion when Bowen sat on a desk, attracted the attention of pupils and slowly opened her legs, exposing her underwear. The court heard that Bowen had also allegedly spoken to pupils about her sex life, including telling them about sexual acts involving her boyfriend.
Complaint and denial
Richard Luker, who was head of science at Christ’s College in the late 1980s, told jurors he remembered a complaint from the mother of the first complainant. She had reportedly raised concerns because her son was planning to travel abroad with Bowen at the end of term.
Bowen denied the allegations during the trial, describing them as "total fabrication". She also told the court she had a medical condition which had not been diagnosed at the time and which she said made sexual intercourse difficult and painful.
Bowen, of Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, was granted bail following her conviction. She will be sentenced at Harrow Crown Court on November 20.
