Eton College Head Apologises After Former Teacher's Jail Sentence for Sexually Assaulting Pupil
The headteacher of Eton college has issued a formal apology and expressed his "appalled" reaction after a former teacher was jailed for three years and three months for sexually assaulting one of his pupils in 2012. Jacob Leland, then 23, committed the assaults at his flat and during a school trip while working as a Russian teacher at the prestigious all-boys boarding school.
Leland's victims first met him after he invited them to his flat, where he gave them alcohol and cigarettes. Once alone, he carried out the initial assault, kissing the boy before placing the pupil's hands over his own groin area. A further assault occurred during a school trip, with Leland performing oral sex on the boy.
The former teacher was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault on a male after a trial at Reading crown court last year. The headteacher, Simon Henderson, described Leland's actions as "the most egregious breach of trust" and reiterated that Eton's pupils' welfare is its top priority. However, he acknowledged that the school's processes failed to prevent the abuse.
Henderson expressed his apologies to the victims on behalf of the school, stating that "those who were directly impacted had the right to be safe and secure in our care." He also acknowledged that the details of the abuse did not come to light until several years after the incidents occurred.
The headteacher of Eton college has issued a formal apology and expressed his "appalled" reaction after a former teacher was jailed for three years and three months for sexually assaulting one of his pupils in 2012. Jacob Leland, then 23, committed the assaults at his flat and during a school trip while working as a Russian teacher at the prestigious all-boys boarding school.
Leland's victims first met him after he invited them to his flat, where he gave them alcohol and cigarettes. Once alone, he carried out the initial assault, kissing the boy before placing the pupil's hands over his own groin area. A further assault occurred during a school trip, with Leland performing oral sex on the boy.
The former teacher was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault on a male after a trial at Reading crown court last year. The headteacher, Simon Henderson, described Leland's actions as "the most egregious breach of trust" and reiterated that Eton's pupils' welfare is its top priority. However, he acknowledged that the school's processes failed to prevent the abuse.
Henderson expressed his apologies to the victims on behalf of the school, stating that "those who were directly impacted had the right to be safe and secure in our care." He also acknowledged that the details of the abuse did not come to light until several years after the incidents occurred.
so sorry to hear about this, it's just another example of how vulnerable kids can get taken advantage of by someone in a position of power 
. I'm glad the justice system was able to catch up with Jacob Leland and hold him accountable for his actions, 3 years is still too long but better than nothing 
. Eton College should be commended for taking responsibility for their failures and apologizing to the victims 
. It's not an excuse but it's a step in the right direction to make sure this never happens again 
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its all about accountability & takin responsibility for our actions. schools gotta have strict policies in place 2 prevent this kinda stuff from happenin. every1 deserves 2 feel safe n sound, especially kids who r supposed 2 be learnin n growin 
I'm just glad the victims are gettin' some kinda justice, even if it's late.
i mean like how can someone even do something so horrific to a kid and get away with it for 3 whole years?? it's crazy. i know eton college is supposed to be all fancy and stuff but like shouldn't they have been paying attention to their teachers or something? 
simon henderson sounds like a pretty decent guy though, he's actually apologizing to the victims which is more than some people would do. anyway, it just goes to show that even in posh schools, there are going to be problems and you gotta make sure they get dealt with ASAP 
I'm so sorry to hear about this horrific incident at Eton College... it's just devastating for all those who were affected, especially the young boy who went through this traumatic experience 
. It's not just about apologizing and promising change, it's about actually doing the work to create a safe and supportive environment for all students 
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3 yrs & 3 months in jail seems like a joke compared to how much trauma those boys went through i feel so bad for them having to go thru all that and not even getting closure til now 
and only now are they saying sorry? what about the other kids he might've done this to?! shouldn't they've been checked on sooner?! also, isn't Eton's whole thing being super elite & prep you for life? how is that even possible with ppl like Leland walking around?!
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. I mean, I get that the guy's in his 40s now, but come on! He was working with kids at Eton, one of the most prestigious schools in the world 
. You'd think they'd have some sort of vetting process in place to prevent something like this from happening. But I guess not? 
And the headteacher's apology is just a band-aid on a bullet wound... sorry guys, can't help but feel like that's just not enough 
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, he died like 2 years ago but I still keep a photo of him on my phone and sometimes I look at it when I'm feeling down... anyway back to Eton college, sorry guys I know this is super serious but have you ever tried those new coffee shops that just opened up in town? 
I mean they have the best flat whites and their pastries are insane, I went there with my friends last weekend and we had a blast... what was the point of Eton college's apology again? 
. I'm glad the head teacher is owning up to it and apologizing on behalf of the school, though 
. And sometimes, it's the ones we trust the most who can hurt us the most 
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