Teenage schoolgirl abducted by teacher Jeremy Forrest hopes to marry him upon his release from jail

 
School teacher Jeremy Forrest is led from Lewes Crown Court after his sentencing in Lewes, southern England June 21, 2013. Forrest, who had fled to France with a student before his capture, was jailed for five and a half years for abducting the 15 year old girl and five charges of sexual activity with a child.
REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett
30 June 2013

The teenage schoolgirl abducted by maths teacher Jeremy Forrest has said she hopes to marry him when he is released from jail.

The 16 year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claimed in an interview with the Sun that she had groomed her teacher and started the relationship which led to them fleeing to France.

The pair ran away to Bordeaux last September, when the girl was 15, fearing their sexual relationship was about to be exposed.

Forrest, 30, was jailed for five-and-a-half years for child abduction and five charges of sexual activity with a child earlier this month.

Police said he had taken advantage of a younger girl.

The teenager told the Sun that she blamed herself for her "true love" being in prison.

"I instigated the relationship in the first place and it was my suggestion to run away, "she said.

"But Jeremy is not a paedophile, if anything it was me who groomed him. There are people out there who will do a similar thing but who have sinister intentions.

"But this is completely different."

She added that she intends to visit and write to him in prison with hopes the pair will marry and start a family together upon his release.

The teenager accepted that Forrest "crossed a line" and said from the outside "I would completely disagree with what happened", but claimed the pair could not help how they felt.

During the eight-day trial at Lewes Crown Court the jury was told that Forrest (above) groomed the schoolgirl into having sex with him before taking her to France as he attempted to avoid being caught.

Judge Michael Lawson QC told Forrest: "Your behaviour in this period has been motivated by self-interest and has hurt and damaged many people - her family, your family, staff and pupils at the school and respect for teachers everywhere."

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