Megan Stammers is seduced by fame
MEGAN Stammers is a white 15-year-old on the lam in France with Jeremy Forrest, her maths teacher at Bishop Bell School, near Eastbourne. The police and her parents want Megan to come home. But how to make it happen? One way is to assure her that Forrest will not be busted for a crime when he returns.
The Evening Standard notes:
The age of consent in France is 15, so their relationship is not against the law.
Jean-Philippe Joubert, state prosecutor for Boulogne-sur-Mer, tells us:
“These people have been put on a missing persons’ list and a European Arrest Warrant has been issued. But there are no dedicated detectives or specific searches going on right now. But if the couple are recognised and identified, then they will be arrested.”
Martin Stammers, Megan’s step-father, worked with Forest at The Causeway School in Eastbourne:
“I knew Forrest as a colleague. He worked at a twin school. He did some work for us about two years ago. He seemed a nice enough fellow – there was nothing out of the ordinary about him. But this is all about Megan and getting her back – then the police can deal with him.’
The other way to bring Megan home is to get a famous face, someone like Francesca Sandford of the Saturdays, to tweet:
“Megan, on behalf of myself, Mollie, Vanessa, Una and Roch, please come home or call your mum. Everyone is so worried about you! Lots of love x.”
If that fails, there’s only one thing for it: Beckham.
Elsewhere the Mail quotes a “pupil” on Twitter, who says:
“The guy used to give me a birthday card every year, he never forgot! Now I think he just wanted to take me to France.”
France is not a euphemism.
The Daily Mirror produces the stellar news:
Missing schoolgirl Megan Stammers and teacher Jeremy Forrest make an odd couple, a friend of the teenager has said.
The Star lead with the spectre of violence:
Speaking at the family home in Orpington, Kent, Jeremy’s dad Jim said: “I am worried about Jeremy. I worry for him more than Megan in case he just flips. But I can tell you my son is one of the most gentle, caring people you will ever meet.”
Meanwhile, the Telegraph’s Byrony Gordon manages to create a scare story:
For many of these children – no matter how “mature”, a 15 year-old is still a child – these years will thankfully pass off without incident. Others will not be so lucky. They might end up being groomed by their teacher on Bebo…They can be contacted on Facebook by men like Nicholas Bull, who was jailed last year after he posed as a disabled boy of 13 and raped a 12-year-old girl. Or they can send personal messages to 30-year-old teachers on Twitter without fear of being found out – or at least not until it is much, much too late.
Sure, thing. Hormones were invented on the world wide web. Thanks to the internet, your child can break up a marriage and go on the run with their teacher.
Stammers and Forrest are in the news not because they might have chatted on the web; it’s because he is a teacher, a person charged with getting pupils ready for life of independence. She is now utterly reliant on him. If Megan wants to know how that will turn out, Forrest’s wife can offer her a crash course…
Posted: 27th, September 2012 | In: Reviews Comments (2) | TrackBack | Permalink
