Teacher had sex with boy aged 10

By JO-MARIE BROWN

A 35-year-old female schoolteacher has admitted having a sexual relationship with a former pupil aged 10.

Faryn Ripine Matthews told police she loved the boy like a son.

Yesterday, she pleaded guilty in the High Court at Rotorua to three representative charges of sexual violation.

The boy lived next door to the teacher when the offending took place.

The eight-month affair ended shortly before Matthews turned herself in to the police last October.

After hearing the guilty pleas yesterday, the boy's mother said she felt betrayed by Matthews, who taught her son briefly in 2001.

The boy was soon moved to another class because of behavioural problems.

The primary school where Matthews taught cannot be named to protect the boy's identity.

Her relationship with him developed outside the classroom and continued after he transferred to another school last year.

They met when Matthews moved next door in 1998. As a 7-year-old, the boy began visiting to use her computer, play cards and get help with his homework.

Occasionally he would stay overnight or go away on holiday with her.

Detective Brett Calkin, who investigated the case, said other boys from the school also used to visit Matthews at home.

All had been interviewed and "no further offending was disclosed".

Matthews told police that her relationship with her young neighbour became sexual in 2001 when she took him to her family's home in Palmerston North for Christmas.

Over an eight-month period they had sexual intercourse 10 to 20 times.

The teacher resigned from her job and confessed to police after the boy's behaviour deteriorated markedly in September last year and her family learned of their relationship.

Mr Calkin said Matthews accepted that her actions were inappropriate and unlawful.

"She took full responsibility for the relationship, and acknowledged that the victim was not psychologically mature enough to provide reasonable consent to the sexual activity which took place."

Matthews told police that she had become attached to the boy and loved him like a son.

"She seemed to be quite a mixed-up young woman," Mr Calkin said.

She had also told the youngster to keep quiet about their affair so she would not go to prison.

A staff member at Auckland's Sexual Abuse HELP Foundation said those who committed crimes of this kind were often seeking to assert power over others which they did not have elsewhere in their lives.

Victims suffered a wide range of emotions, including self-blame and confusion over whether the relationship was right or wrong.

The boy's mother said yesterday that the case should be a warning to parents not to trust people because they held positions of responsibility.

"Yes, she's guilty, but we're guilty of trusting a teacher," the mother said.

Her son was still receiving counselling, and was relieved he would not need to give evidence at a trial.

"He's had his ups and downs," she said. "We're getting more good days than bad at the moment, but he was tearful today."

Matthews, who faces a maximum penalty of 20 years' imprisonment, has been released on bail and will be sentenced on June 20.

The Teachers' Council is expected to cancel her teacher's registration and practising certificate.

School Trustees Association employment relations adviser Peter Murphy said everyone at the Tauranga school was horrified to learn of Matthews' actions.