Woman shocked tutor's actions were not grooming

Jenny - not her real name - started taking drama lessons when she was 16

A woman who says she was groomed at the age of 16 by her drama tutor says she feels "dumbfounded" he could not be prosecuted.

Jenny - not her real name - said her tutor manipulated her but she was later told he did not break the law as his role was not classified as being in a position of trust.

In 2022, legislation was extended to include sports coaches and faith group leaders as being in positions of trust. Jenny called on the government to expand this further and said it was unfair the subject her tutor taught could "determine whether someone gets justice or not".

The government said it would continue to review legislation to ensure the law was protecting children and young people.

A list of organisations in the UK offering support and information with some of the issues in this story is available at BBC Action Line.

When she was first offered drama lessons in Gloucestershire, Jenny said she was at a time in her life when she did not have many friends and "wanted acceptance".

She believes her tutor played on these vulnerabilities and manipulated her into feeling like a consenting relationship was developing as their interactions became sexual.

"It was slowly drip-fed. He said 'I think I'm in love with you. I can give you this. We can do this together. You're amazing'. You build someone up to such a high level.

"When you are a 16-year-old and someone is giving you that attention and making you feel a million dollars, you genuinely believe that you are in a consenting relationship," she said.

Jenny said she did not realise what had happened to her until she was talking about grooming at university years later.

"It's only when you get out of that and when you're older, that you realise the manipulation that's taken place.

"Everything matched up. It was almost like a tick box of being told what grooming is, tick, tick, tick, tick," she said.

Jenny decided to report her tutor to the police and said officers supported her prosecution but the Crown Prosecution Service said no crime had been committed.

"I think it's entirely unfair and it massively scares me about how many people have fallen victim to this injustice and how many perpetrators are getting away with this crime just because the subject, which bears no relevance really, determines whether someone gets justice or not," she said.

Faith group leaders and sports coaches were classified as being in a position of trust in 2022 following an NSPCC campaign

The 2022 law change to class sports coaches and religious leaders as being in a position of trust followed a three-year "Close the Loophole" campaign by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).

At an initial parliamentary debate about the proposed changes in 2021, former Home Secretary Priti Patel said there had been suggestions to expand the positions of trust listed in the bill even further, but this was ultimately not deemed "appropriate".

"Whilst recognising calls to expand protection in this way, it is important to note that as the list of positions of trust expands, so the legal right of those over the age of 16 to consent to sexual activity is eroded," she said.

Shadow attorney general Lord Wolfson of Tredegar agreed an overly-broad definition would risk the criminalisation of consensual relationships.

"If we draw this too widely, we are limiting the ability of a 16 or 17-year-old to have a sexual relationship with that person. This the balance that we want to strike," he said.

"We say the line should be drawn at sport and religion. If you draw it too widely, you impact on that person's ability to have a sexual relationship with other adults."

'It's just not right'

The NSPCC's head of policy and public affairs, Anna Edmundson, said many young people were still unprotected.

She called on the government to "look again" at the gaps in the position of trust laws, which she said were "highlighted by too many cases".

"It's just not right that young people who love sports are protected from harm, but not those who spend their time and energy pursuing drama or performing arts or other activities," she said.

"It shouldn't be for 16 and 17-year-olds to bear the burden of keeping themselves safe from predatory adults," she added.

Jenny has started a petition calling for the law to be changed, which has so far been signed by almost 2,500 people.

"You expect the law to be on your side with things like this, especially with things like the 'Me Too' movement telling you to come forward and saying that these things need to be addressed.

"In doing that and then being told, 'oh actually there's nothing we can do', it just feels incredibly contradictory," she said.

Minister for victims and violence against women and girls Alex Davies-Jones told Jenny in a letter that the government would act "where there is evidence that supports a change in law".

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said: "Child sexual abuse is abhorrent and we commend the bravery of victims who come forward.

"Non-consensual sexual activity is a crime regardless of age or the perpetrator's position.

"Sexual activity between an adult in a 'position of trust' and a person under the age of 18 is also a crime and we continue to review this legislation to ensure the law is protecting children and young people."