Former Teacher Denies Gross Indecency Charges from 1990s
Deborah Franklin, 65, faces eight counts as jury deliberates conflicting accounts of alleged abuse.
Image: Eddie Pollard / AI
Callum Smith
A Hertfordshire preparatory school teacher, Deborah Franklin, 65, denies eight counts of gross indecency against a boy in the 1990s, with the complainant reporting the alleged incidents to police in 2024.
Franklin, from Radlett, Hertfordshire, testified on Monday, July 27, as part of a case where prosecutors allege she subjected a boy, then aged between nine and 12, to repeated sexual activity.
Prosecutors claim Franklin undressed in front of the boy, kissed him, encouraged him to touch her, and performed multiple sexual acts at both his house and her own residence.
On one occasion, Franklin, who was married at the time, reportedly bound the boy to her bed and blindfolded him.
During another alleged sexual act, Franklin reportedly uttered her husband’s name.
Others reportedly observed her in the boy's bed at his house, with no academic work underway.
The prosecution maintains Franklin became the boy’s private tutor, subsequently subjecting him to this repeated sexual activity.
In stark contrast, the defense barrister argues the complainant’s account contains too many difficulties and too much inherent unlikelihood.
The defense claims the unlikelihood of any incident occurring in that bedroom stems from the frequent presence of the complainant’s family members at home.
Franklin denies the allegations, stating she could not recall tutoring the boy; however, some memories reportedly resurfaced after reviewing photographs and consulting with her legal team.
The defense asserts Franklin’s relationship with the boy remained entirely proper, neither unusually close nor inappropriate.
Franklin herself stated that social interaction among teachers, parents, and children was common.
Sadly we know that from time to time people make allegations, even forceful, repeated, vigorous allegations that are simply not true.
Aisling Byrnes, representing the defense, highlighted the potential for false accusations, stating, "Sadly we know that from time to time people make allegations, even forceful, repeated, vigorous allegations that are simply not true."
Byrnes underscored the core of the legal battle, noting, "This is, in essence, at heart a case of one person’s word against another."
Have you heard any real reason for him to make this up?
Gavin Pottinger, for the prosecution, challenged the defense's position directly, asking, "Have you heard any real reason for him to make this up?"
Pottinger also reflected on the societal context surrounding the case, observing that "the world has changed" and that Franklin was "trusted because she was up there in the bedroom without an adult."
The jury has now retired to consider its verdict in this complex case.