Sunday, September 30, 2012

One of the main news stories last week was about runaway pupil and teacher: Megan Stammers & Jeremy Forrest. The news was reported by Newsround on Tuesday 25th September -

Leah: Next to a story about a schoolgirl who's been front page news ever since she ran away last Thursday.

Ricky: Many thousands of kids run away from home every year in the UK. But what makes this different is that Megan Stammers is thought to have gone all the way to France with one of her teachers.

Leah: Police are looking for both of them. And the 15-year-old's parents are begging her to come home, saying she won't be in trouble. Watch out for the flashes coming up.

Ricky: Last Thursday Megan Stammers told her mum she was off to stay overnight at a friend's house. Her family have not seen her since. Yesterday Megan's parents begged her to get in touch, and come home.

Megan's mum: Sweetheart - I don't care what you've done or why, but you can tell I'm in pieces and I just want you home.

Megan's stepdad: Megan - we had a date on Saturday and we didn't make it. Babes that offer's still there sweetheart. I just want you to come home - safe.

Ricky: This is the man Megan is with. 30-year-old Jeremy Forrest, a maths teacher at her school in Sussex. They boarded a ferry to France on Thursday night. They had booked to return by the same route on Sunday, but never did. The school said there had been concerns about the relationship before this happened. On a previous school trip they were reportedly seen by another pupil holding hands. UK police are now working with the French authorities to try to find the pair and bring them home safely.

Police officer: We believe you believe you left of your own accord with Jeremy. But we need to hear that you're OK. Your family and friends are extremely worried, but you are not - and I stress you are not - in any trouble.

Ricky: Because Megan is 15 she is legally still a child. Her teacher's been criticised because part of a teacher's job is to look after children on behalf of their parents.

Ricky: Now although it's important to have a good relationship with your teachers at school, we've been looking into this story today. And we've got in touch with a former teachers' union leader, and she told us that the trust children build up for their teachers is very important, this is clearly an abuse of that trust.

Ricky: Police are now asking friends of the missing teenager if they have any information about where she might be. But in the meantime her family can only hope she returns home safely.

Friday's Newsround at 5pm began with a report that Megan Stammers had been found in Bordeaux. They said Megan was being looked after by police, but that her teacher had been arrested.

The main Newsround TV bulletins yesterday reported that Megan would return to the UK. Her dad said the family were overjoyed at the outcome.

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