Chloe Hadjimatheou

In 2020, when Gareth gets that call telling him the authorities won't be pressing charges against Miss Bowen, he's gutted.

In 2020, when Gareth gets that call telling him the authorities won't be pressing charges against Miss Bowen, he's gutted.

What would you say to her?

What would you say to her?

I don't know.

I don't know.

The thing with Gareth is his mental health issues mean he can't hold down a job. So he has loads of time on his hands to think about his next steps. And as far as he's concerned, the police dropping the case, it isn't the end of the story.

The thing with Gareth is his mental health issues mean he can't hold down a job. So he has loads of time on his hands to think about his next steps. And as far as he's concerned, the police dropping the case, it isn't the end of the story.

That photo Gareth's talking about was on a school website because after she left Christ's College back in 1988, Miss Bowen carried on teaching, without consequence, 14 more schools in total. It's the lack of accountability that makes Gareth so angry. So in 2022, Gareth goes to the Teaching Regulation Agency, the TRA. It's the bit of the Ministry of Education that oversees the profession.

That photo Gareth's talking about was on a school website because after she left Christ's College back in 1988, Miss Bowen carried on teaching, without consequence, 14 more schools in total. It's the lack of accountability that makes Gareth so angry. So in 2022, Gareth goes to the Teaching Regulation Agency, the TRA. It's the bit of the Ministry of Education that oversees the profession.

They have real power to intervene if someone makes a serious allegation against the teacher, even if it's historic.

They have real power to intervene if someone makes a serious allegation against the teacher, even if it's historic.

The TRA hearing is very court-like, although there are a couple of differences. For a start, although it has the look and feel of a criminal court, it follows the civil standard of proof rather than the criminal one. That means the allegations can be considered proven on the balance of probabilities. That's a lower standard than beyond reasonable doubt.

The TRA hearing is very court-like, although there are a couple of differences. For a start, although it has the look and feel of a criminal court, it follows the civil standard of proof rather than the criminal one. That means the allegations can be considered proven on the balance of probabilities. That's a lower standard than beyond reasonable doubt.

In Gareth's case, the whole thing took place online via video link and it went on for months.

In Gareth's case, the whole thing took place online via video link and it went on for months.

What you're listening to is a recreation based on a transcript of the hearing. The entire thing runs close to 200 pages. So we combed through it and these are the sections we think are the most revealing of how the case played out.

What you're listening to is a recreation based on a transcript of the hearing. The entire thing runs close to 200 pages. So we combed through it and these are the sections we think are the most revealing of how the case played out.

It's now November 2022 and Gareth, or Pupil A as he's being publicly referred to in the hearing, is sitting at home in his living room looking at a handful of boxes on a screen.

It's now November 2022 and Gareth, or Pupil A as he's being publicly referred to in the hearing, is sitting at home in his living room looking at a handful of boxes on a screen.