Teacher accused of having sex with two teenage boys during 1980s says she ‘wasn’t going to dress like Thatcher’ when asked if she wore short skirts in class
A former chemistry teacher on trial for indecently assaulting two teenage pupils in the 1980s has denied dressing provocatively to attract them, telling jurors "I wasn't going to dress like Margaret Thatcher." Sally-Anne Bowen, 65, taught at Christ's College in Finchley, north London, where prosecutors allege she wore short skirts and behaved suggestively towards two boys who were then aged 14 or 15. She denies seven counts of indecent assault, insisting the allegations made decades later are fabricated.
Giving evidence at Harrow Crown Court, Bowen said her skirts were shorter than what she wears now but were not "mini skirts," and that as one of few young female teachers she occasionally faced inappropriate comments from pupils, which she ignored. One complainant claims he had sex with her around 20 to 30 times and believed himself to be her boyfriend, while the second alleges a single kiss in a cafe after being "goaded" by other boys. Bowen said she did not recognise or remember the second complainant, and also denied a separate claim from a former pupil that she had discussed sexual positions with students after finding a "sex manual" in class.
- Ex-teacher denies dressing suggestively to entice teenage pupils in 1980s.
- Sally-Anne Bowen, 65, denies seven counts of indecent assault against two boys.
- One complainant alleges sex "20 or 30 times"; Bowen calls claims fabricated.
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Sally-Anne Bowen, 65, is a former chemistry teacher standing trial over allegations dating back to the 1980s, when she taught at Christ's College, a school in Finchley, north London. She faces seven counts of indecent assault relating to two boys who were pupils aged 14 or 15 at the time. She denies all the charges, saying the claims made against her decades later are untrue.
The case rests on evidence from two former pupils, now adults, who allege separate incidents with Bowen while she was their teacher. One says he had a sexual relationship with her over an extended period and believed they were in a relationship, while the other alleges a single incident in a cafe. A further former pupil has made a separate allegation about inappropriate conversations in the classroom.
The trial is taking place at Harrow Crown Court, where Bowen has been giving evidence in her own defence. Cases like this, concerning alleged historical abuse by a teacher, often turn on jurors weighing decades-old, disputed memories against each other, since there is little or no contemporary evidence to draw on.