Teacher accused of having sex with two teen pupils in UK says ‘I was just friendly’

A chemistry teacher denied having sexual relationships with two teenage pupils at an all-boys school, telling a jury: “I didn’t flirt with students, I was just friendly”.

Sally-Anne Bowen, 65, is alleged to have indecently assaulted both boys when they were aged around 14 to 15 and she was in her mid-20s, her trial at Harrow Crown Court heard.

Bowen joined the all-boys Christ’s College in Finchley, north London, in the late 1980s and told the court on Thursday that she caught the attention of some boys at the school as a young female teacher.

She said she believed in hindsight she had been “too friendly” with students.

“I wanted to be liked, as we all do, and I received a lot of attention,” she told the court.

“I was asked lots of questions … I was friendly, I was nice and I wanted to answer their questions.”

Bowen denies seven counts of indecent assault against the two boys.

One boy alleged he had sex with the teacher “about 20 or 30 times” over several months, that he would visit her at her home, considered her to be his girlfriend and had fallen in love with her.

Asked about the allegations, Bowen said: “There was no sexual activity, he’s made this story up.”

The other alleged victim said she kissed him and let him touch her breasts, which Bowen also denied.

She told the court she had a medical condition which in the late 1980s had not been diagnosed, which made sexual intercourse difficult and painful for her.

Giving evidence wearing a white shirt and black skirt, Bowen said she caught the attention of some of the boys at the school “because I was young, and I was attractive, by their perception.”

She denied ever being inappropriate with students.

She said: “I didn’t flirt with students, I was just friendly.”

Bowen said she was never overtly sexual or suggestive to students and denied allowing children to see up her skirt or talking to them about oral sex.

She said: “I wore a black skirt which was fitted, a bit shorter than I’m wearing now but not a miniskirt. I wore tights as I’m wearing now.

“The clothes I wore on top were baggy always.”

She claimed she had felt “harassed” by the first alleged victim.

She denied having a relationship with the boy, saying: “Absolutely not, no relationship whatsoever. Student-teacher.”

Bowen denied knowing the second alleged victim, saying she did not remember him even after seeing him give evidence in court.

She said: “I haven’t got a clue who he is.”

Bowen told the jury she had three boyfriends as a teenager and young adult but she did not have sex.

“I had no desire to have sex. I don’t like being touched intimately, I never have.”

Bowen said she became aware of her condition in 1990, which is when she met her current partner.

She said: “I think I was born with a low libido … I think I have no sex drive in any way.”

On Thursday, Judge Karim Ezzat directed the jury to find her not guilty of one count of indecent assault in relation to the second alleged victim.

The trial continues on the basis of seven counts of indecent assault, which Bowen denies.