Former Christ’s College teacher denies indecent assault of two pupils

A former teacher at Christ’s College Finchley is standing trial at Barnet Crown Court, accused of indecently assaulting two of her pupils when they were 14 years old. Sally-Anne Bowen, now 65, taught at the school between 1986 and 1988. She denies all eight charges against her.

The court heard that one of the alleged victims, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told police he had sex with Bowen "20 or 30 times" during the 1988 school year. He described being introduced to sexual acts by his teacher, including encounters at her flat and a local café where she is said to have shown him a pornographic magazine.

Accuser’s testimony and defence response

The alleged victim told police he was a willing participant in the relationship, saying, "I loved that woman. I would have done anything for her." He later described feeling devastated when Bowen ended contact at the end of the summer holiday in 1988. His behaviour deteriorated, and he was eventually asked to leave the school.

Prosecutor Madeleine Wolfe KC told the jury the case was not about whether the boys enjoyed Bowen’s attention. "The issue is whether Sally-Anne Bowen, knowing her position and their vulnerability, crossed the boundaries that existed to protect them," she said, as reported by the Barnet Post.

Bowen’s defence barrister, Mark Kimsey KC, argued that the accuser’s comments in a 2025 podcast interview for The Observer’s *Lucky Boy* had been taken out of context. The man told the podcast he might want to "hug her… kiss her… fuck her" if given the chance to speak to Bowen again. Kimsey quoted this statement in court, but the accuser said his words had been selectively quoted and that he had also said, "I might just want to cry. How about that? How fucked up’s that?"

Bowen reported the accuser to police in 2025, alleging he had threatened to rape her. The court heard this followed his comments in the podcast interview.

School staff and family reactions

The relationship between Bowen and her main accuser was described as an open secret at Christ’s College Finchley. The court heard that Bowen took the boy to end-of-year staff drinks, where a colleague reportedly said she hoped he would "get home safely."

The boy’s mother later confronted Bowen by phone and sent her son to stay with his older sister in Manchester to end the contact. The sister told the court she answered one of Bowen’s calls and told her to stop contacting her brother.

A second complainant is expected to give evidence this week. The court heard his alleged contact with Bowen was less extensive, involving kissing and touching encouraged by other boys during café lunches.

Bowen’s defence and medical claim

Bowen denies any sexual contact with either boy, telling police any account of a relationship was "fantasy." Her defence has pointed to a medical condition she says made intercourse extremely painful during the period in question. Her accuser rejected this claim in court, telling the jury, "It was not a problem for her."

The trial is expected to continue for at least another week, with the jury yet to hear closing arguments from both sides.