'How many victims are there?' asks mum of teen taught by sex predator Rebecca Joynes after she groomed two boys
19 May 2024, 13:53
A parent whose son was taught by sex predator Rebecca Joynes has criticised the school for its silence, and asked how many victims might there be.
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Maths teacher Rebecca Joynes had sex with two teenage schoolboys while teaching at Greater Manchester School, and also had a baby with one of them while on bail.
On Friday, she was found guilty of four counts of sexual activity with a child and two counts of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust at Manchester Crown Court, after a trial lasting two weeks.
The mother accused the school of keeping Joyne's arrest quiet, stating that other parents only knew about the allegations after seeing the story regarding her first court appearance in the press.
Her son was a classmate of the two boys who were groomed from the age of 15, the Sun reported.
Read More: Paedo teachers who prey on students: Rebecca Joynes joins sick roster of disgraced educators
Joynes, 30, was first put before a judge at Manchester Crown Court in August 2022.
The mum told the paper: “The first we heard anything about it was when it came out in the paper that she had been arrested and charged.
“We asked our son and he told us some boys had been sharing stuff so we heard it through the grapevine.
"When I asked why he didn’t speak up he said ‘Well he was just being a boy'. They don’t really think anything about it because they aren’t looking at it the same way we would as parents.
“The school didn’t say anything and even if you phoned them it was a very closed book. Everyone is shocked.
"I am unhappy with how the school have dealt with it. They should have a duty of care towards all the kids who have come into contact with Joynes.
“She was at the school for four years so will have taught a lot of boys.
“But, as far as I’m aware, the school has taken no steps to check if there were other victims.
“I’m confident my child wasn’t exposed to Joynes as she wasn’t his teacher, but I wonder how many other boys were."
The mum also criticised Joynes for targeting boys she will have known since they were “babies”.
She went on to say: “If you’ve taught them from when they were 11 you’ve seen them as babies and targeting someone when they are 16 and you’re an adult is still completely inappropriate.
"It happened numerous times. And she’s had a baby with one of the boys.
“For his parents I can’t even imagine the trauma of sending your kid to a school so they are safe and then this happens.
“Watching the case she doesn’t seem remorseful at all. How she can deny it is beyond me.
“I think the effect it’s had on my son is the people who have power and you should feel safe with aren’t always the ones you can trust.”
Joynes will be sentenced in July.
