A teacher has been charged with sexually abusing a schoolboy in Northern Ireland.
Judith Evans, 33, of Newtownabbey, will stand trial later this year for sex offences she is accused of committing against a male student.
Ms Evans, who taught at Belfast Boys’ Model School, appeared at Belfast Crown Court last Wednesday to deny 11 charges.
The Belfast Telegraph reported that she could now be identified after her lawyers failed in a last-minute attempt to prevent her being identified as the accused.
Confirmed his identity
At last week’s hearing, Ms Evans was accompanied into the dock by her solicitor Adrian Harvey and confirmed her identity to a court clerk before denying the charges, which were made over a four-month period earlier this year.
It is alleged that between March 1 and May 17, Ms Evans communicated with a child “for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification”.
When asked how she pleaded, she replied: “Not guilty.”
She is also charged with two counts of meeting a child following sexual grooming during the same period and has pleaded not guilty to both charges.
Ms Evans also denied two counts of inciting or causing a child to engage in sexual activity, as well as two counts of intentionally committing sexual touching involving penetration with a child.
She denies one charge that she forced a child to look at an image of a person engaged in sexual activity “for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification”.
The high school teacher pleaded not guilty to two counts of possessing an indecent image of the student.
Accused of perverting the course of justice
She is also accused of perverting the course of justice between June 13 and 27 this year by allegedly making a false allegation of sexual assault against the boy, to which she has pleaded not guilty.
Laura Ivers KC, representing Ms Evans, told Judge Patricia Smyth that the defence was seeking forensic and psychiatric reports before a trial.
No further details of the alleged offence were revealed at the arraignment, but Mr Harvey told an earlier hearing that his client claimed she was victimised by her encounters with the schoolboy.
He said his client “is also a complainant in these proceedings” and confirmed she had been suspended by the school.
Released on extended bail
Belfast Court Clerk Judge Patricia Smyth set a trial date for November 4 and granted the defence’s application for the defendant to be released on bail.
Evans was named after her lawyers argued on Friday that she should not be identified for several reasons, including because she had filed a criminal complaint herself and because she was concerned about her mental health.
They also argued that naming the person would compromise the identification of the schoolboy and prejudice the administration of justice.
However, Fergal McGoldrick, representing Northern Irish newspapers Sunday Life and Belfast Telegraph, objected, arguing there was no legal basis to prevent her identification given the charges she faces.
Importance of open justice
Mr Justice Smyth, citing the importance of open justice, declined to make an order preventing Ms Evans from being identified.
She gave the teacher’s legal representatives until 6 p.m. Saturday to provide testimony from a psychiatrist and any further arguments.
However, on Saturday evening, Ms Evans confirmed that no further arguments would be made.
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