School allowed sexually abusive teacher to keep working
A woman who was sexually abused by her geography teacher has waived her right to anonymity to reveal her ordeal as part of a campaign for a better justice system.
Sue Adey, 49, from Hastings, East Sussex, was abused by Alan Rees, 59, twice in 1980s when she was just 13, in what she says was an 'open secret' in her school.
In a special programme by 5 News, Sue, who was then known as Susie Brooks, claims all the girls in her school were attracted to the teacher and that when she reported the incidents she wasn't taken seriously.
When more girls came forward the school investigated the accusations but rather than report them to the police, Rees was sent to a psychiatrist. Astonishingly he was allowed to return to teaching the male students for another 26 years - a decision a judge would later describe as 'staggering'.
It was the second time Sue had been abused as family friend George Hilder was later convicted for eight counts of gross indecency with a child.
Rees and Hilder were both jailed in February this year in two separate cases. Rees was handed a two-and-a-half-year sentence and Hilder was jailed for four years.
Brave: Sue Adey, 49, from Hastings, was abused by teacher Alan Rees twice in 1980s. She waived her right to anonymity in the hope of helping others affected by abuse
Sue said Rees had been a 'dashing' teacher that everyone in her school fancied - but he soon took advantage of her schoolgirl crush.
She said: 'He was just a dashing teacher that everyone had a crush on, we used to love going to geography because it was Mr Rees teaching us.'
Sue tried to report the abuse to her school, which has since been demolished, but nothing was done about it until more girls came forward years later.
Sue said: 'I told people, it wasn't that I didn't tell. The whole school knew, why was nothing done? Why was it just left?
'Why would you have put him back? That was just disgusting, it's supposed to be a place of safety, you know, they're supposed to be looking after kids.'
Alan Rees, 59, is serving two and a half years in prison for sexually abusing Sue
In 1992 Rees was confronted about the complaints but was not sacked and the police were not informed. Instead the education authority disqualified him from teaching girls.
Sue said: 'All that happened was he was sent to a psychiatrist and he was allowed to carry on teaching and that's the bit I'm annoyed with because I had gone back 19 years ago and said "Why didn't you do anything?".
'They said "It's very serious what you've accused, we're sending it to the police, they'll be in touch" but they were never were in touch.'
Rees was questioned again back in 2008 when a CRB check brought up the accusations, but he still wasn't prosecuted.
Sue was just a young girl, pictured, when she was abused by family friend George Hilder, 81
'No one ever took it any further, just left it and I think it's disgusting. So many kids in so many situations in the country have been affected by things like this and nothing was done,' Sue said.
In February 2017 Rees pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault and was jailed for two-and-a-half years under 1980s guidelines.
Emily Cherry of the NSPCC said: 'It is really shocking in cases like Sue that her abuse was swept under the carpet, that she was ignored, she was not listened to and that professionals didn't support her but we must reassure victims right now that if they come forward things are starting to change.'
Betrayal of trust: Family friend who abused Sue as a child Sue's family friend George Hilder, 81, was sentenced to four years in prison for abusing her Around the same time she was abused by Rees, Sue Adley, 49, was also sexually abused by a family friend. For years in the 1980s, Sue was abused by George Hilder, 81, a man who abused her family's trust. Speaking to 5 News, Sue said: 'He made threats to me that if I didn't do what he wanted, if I said anything against him he could very quickly sort that out, that was a regular threat.' Sue claimed Hilder was the leader of a pedophile ring who threatened her into silence. Though decades have passed since the abuse, the memories still haunt Sue. She said: 'I can still smell him, I can still see him, and I can't get rid of that smell in my nose. It breaks my heart because I know how wrong it is. Back then I thought it was a sign of love and he wanted to be with me.' After seeing pedophile Jimmy Savile escaped justice before he died, Sue was determined that her abusers wouldn't get away with what they did to her. She said: 'I want others to come forward because I want them to have a voice, say their piece, to get justice. It isn't just me. I know there are others.' In February this year Hilder was convicted of eight counts of indecency with a child and sentenced to four years in prison. Some old Christmas cards and damning testimony from a former colleague helped secure the conviction. When asked what she would those who say she should 'let go' because it is 'ancient history', Sue replied: 'Its not just for me, it's not, this isn't about me, it isn't. It's not the sort of thing you sit and talk to someone about, you're one of the only people I've spoken to about it. I haven't spoken to my own husband about it. She added: 'I still feel like that kid because I just wanted people to hear me and do something because it was wrong and I wish I'd not lost so many great opportunities in my life. I still feel like that 12 year old and I wish it had never happened.'
5 News is on tonight at 6pm