Letter: When pupils accuse teachers of abuse

Sir: Beatrix Campbell's article 'Now even teachers crusade against children' (13 April) shows deep ignorance of what the teacher unions have been doing on the difficult subject of child abuse. The NASUWT has played a leading role in bringing together all the other teacher unions, the local education authorities, the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and social services in an attempt to hammer out procedures which are fair to teachers and children.

If the events Ms Campbell describes in West Yorkshire are true, then it is the fault of the school and the police that the teacher concerned was not dismissed and brought to court. All the NASUWT has said is that teachers should not be suspended on the say-so of just one child. If people are to be suspended, and prosecuted in court on the basis of uncorroborated evidence then serious violations of natural justice will be perpetrated.

For every case that Beatrix Campbell quotes, I could cite a dozen more where children have made malicious accusations, in some instances being expelled and transferred to other schools, and subsequently repeating the same offence.

In many instances, the children have eventually confessed to making false and malicious accusations. Ms Campbell has nothing to say about the devastating effects false accusations have on the family - including the children - of the teachers concerned.

The NASUWT has repeatedly stated that it does not wish to protect the guilty from justice. You do not achieve that by adopting the nave proposal suggested by Beatrix Campbell, which would continue to expose teachers to the capricious malice of a small but unfortunately increasing number of children.

Yours faithfully,

NIGEL de GRUCHY

General Secretary

NASUWT

London, WC2

13 April