A female teacher has been charged with sexually abusing a schoolboy in Northern Ireland, it has emerged.
Judith Evans, who has been suspended from her teaching position at Belfast Boys’ Model School, will stand trial for sexual offences she allegedly committed against a male student, The Belfast Telegraph reported.
Evans, 33, appeared at Belfast Crown Court on Wednesday to deny 11 charges against her relating to a variety of sexual offences including engaging in sexual activity with the minor, possessing an indecent photograph of a student, sexual communication with a minor, perverting the course of justice, and more.
She had tried to prevent being identified as the defendant in the case, with her lawyers citing mental health concerns, risk of identification of the pupil, risk of prejudicing the administration of justice and the fact that Evans herself had made a criminal complaint.
But the judge, citing the ‘importance of open justice’, declined to make any order concealing her identity, the newspaper reported.
Evans on Wednesday was arraigned on charges spanning from March 1 to May 17 this year, the court heard.
It is alleged that during this four-month period, Evans communicated with a pupil ‘for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification’.
She was charged with two counts of meeting a child following sexual grooming, two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and two counts of intentionally engaging in sexual touching involving penetration with a child.
She was also charged with one count of causing a child to look an at image of a person engaging in sexual activity ‘for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification’ and two counts of possessing an indecent image of the pupil.
Evans was also hit with a charge of perverting the course of justice between June 13 and 27, which pertained to allegedly making a false allegation of sexual assault against the boy.
She pleaded ‘not guilty’ to all charges and Judge Patricia Smyth set her trial for November 4. Evans was also released on continuing bail.
Evans’ solicitor Adrian Harvey, who accompanied her in the dock on Wednesday, previously told the court that his client claimed to be a victim in the encounters with the student, the newspaper reported.
Mr Harvey argued that Evans ‘is also a complainant in relation to these proceedings’.
Her barrister Laura Ivers KC told the judge on Wednesday that the defence is seeking forensic and psychiatric reports ahead of the trial.
