Bullets 'n' Babes

What he did was very wrong not least because he was in a position of trust, he abused his position and acted unprofessionally. However isnt the word paedophile being taken a bit too far? The media loves to (mis)use this word (even if he was twice the girls age it doesnt make him a paedo), and it appears the girl he 'abducted' knew what she was doing. Once he gets released from prison they can have a relationship if they want surely?
He did something very inappropriate but it seems she fell for him too. Bottom line is, can you control who you like and fall in love with?
On the other hand I guess you can control whether you act on your urges/feelings or not.

Yes, the use of the word paedophile (or tabloid buzz phrase 'paedo') is grossly inappropriate here.
The girl was 14 going on 15, she was not a pre-teen; paedophiles are only interested in undeveloped children under the age of 13.
Trying to educate the knee-jerk masses on that crucial point is an uphill battle.

What Forrest did was unquestionably wrong.
A fitting punishment for his 'crime' would have been the permanent removal of his teaching credentials and a suspended sentence (say two years).
Five years behind bars is a joke when you consider he never physically hurt the girl, did not force her to sleep with him or travel abroad (it was reportedly her idea to run away from home).
Are they genuinely in love? It would appear so.
Five years among murderers and rapists is a high price to pay for misguided affection, no?

Agree I think he should be punished, and also shouldnt be allowed to teach again but his sentence is too harsh IMO when you consider some sentences handed out for murdering people

I'd go suspended sentence as well.Unfortunately the media circus surrounding the case will ensure a custodial sentence possibly 3-4 years i'm guessing. I remember my sports teacher at School hooking up with a pupil,he was late 30's and she was 15 but despite everyone knowing it never got reported.when she turned 16 he left his wife and kids for her. To be fair the relationship lasted,they married and it was only the other week i bumped into an old school friend who told me they'd recently just split up after being married for 30 years.

As I understood it he abused his professional position (and obviously broke his code of working practice) and in direct consequence basically 'groomed' a minor, whatever word you want to call he it can't go un punished.

Losing his job and teaching credentials and receiving a suspended sentence isn't what I would call 'unpunished'.

Five and a half years behind bars is outrageous.

You can get a fine for glassing someone's face!

Actual child molesters get shorter sentences.

Sounds like he's being made an example of yes

I imagine its the government reinforcing the line 'if you become a teacher and do this, this is how you'll end up'

Their view will be this will protect other children from harm

What he did was very wrong, but can you control who you fall in love with? The two people love each other.

grim_tales wrote:What he did was very wrong, but can you control who you fall in love with? The two people love each other.

As a teacher it is your duty (let alone use moral common sense) not to become emotionally/romantically attached to a child.

You don't just 'fall in love' - there is a warm up of other feelings leading upto it.

Good points