Mum fuels teacher rumours

NOT-GUILTY plea . . . teacher Neil Carr

THE mother of a boy who sparked off an investigation into allegations of sexual assaults by a teacher, has been accused of taking matters into her own hands and “stirring up” parents.

The mum made an immediate complaint to the head of a Greater Manchester school after her son told her on Valentine’s Day, last year, what had been happening to him and to at least two other boys.

Instead of letting the authorities deal with the situation, Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court heard how the woman contacted one of the other mums, against the express wishes of the head, to pass on information about 25-year old Oldham teacher Neil Carr.

When asked why she had done so, she told a trial jury: “Because I felt she had a right to know. I told her there had been an incident and there were allegations that Neil Carr had touched boys inappropriately.”

The jury heard that rumours involving Mr Carr, who pleads not guilty to sexual assaults on seven young boys, quickly spread, and two mothers were openly communicating about the issue on Facebook.

The jury had earlier been told that Mr Carr has continued to deny ever touching a youngster inappropriately, and insists that a pack of lies had been concocted, spurring on by over-zealous parents.

But Lisa Boocock, prosecuting, said: “They had no reason to lie about a teacher they liked and respected. They had nothing to gain by making up these allegations.”

Proceeding.



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