Uxbridge Gazette

Ex-teacher guilty of historic assaults

71-year-old’s offences began in 1974

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Junior School, in Uxbridge, and Kingsway Junior School, in Watford.

An investigat­ion began in 2013 when a former female pupil of Whitehall Junior School made an allegation to police concerning Back, her former teacher.

The offences she alleged amounted to gross indecency and indecent assault and dated back to 1974.

Back was interviewe­d under caution by police on May 2 2013 and denied the offences.

A further witness, another female pupil, was traced and provided a witness account.

Enquiries led police to attend Kingsway Junior School, in Garston, Watford, where a further two victims were identified and traced, both who provided informatio­n to police.

Offences at this school dated back to the early 1980s.

The informatio­n given to police by the witnesses and pupils gave similar accounts of Back’s activities.

Back was arrested and interviewe­d in relation to these allegation­s on April 28 2014 and June 27 2014.

He was charged on September 8 2015.

DC Emma MacDonald, of the Met’s child abuse investigat­ion team, said: “This was a lengthy enquiry and the Crown Prosecutio­n Service authorised numerous charges against Back in 2015. There were similariti­es in the accounts of the witnesses – pupils of Back’s who did not know each other and who attended different schools, miles apart.

“Although this was a protracted investigat­ion, I wish to thank the witnesses for their full support.

“They have shown such bravery reliving painful memories to the team and at court.

“Giving evidence can be very daunting, but witnesses are supported throughout the process.

“Even though these types of cases can take some time, police will persevere and try to bring the offender to court so justice is done.

“I hope that Back’s conviction will help ease the painful memories of his victims.”

Back will be sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on Thursday June 30.

 ??  ?? FORMER SCHOOL: Whitehall Junior School in Uxbridge
FORMER SCHOOL: Whitehall Junior School in Uxbridge

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