COURT SLAMS 21-MONTH SENTENCE FOR SCHOOL ABUSER AS 'INSUFFICIENT'
A DEVASTATED father has blasted a court's decision to sentence a deputy headteacher who abused his young daughter to 21 months in prison as a "joke".The father said his family was in turmoil after Paul Temple, former deputy head teacher of the Beaucroft Foundation special needs school, Wimborne, was told he would be out in 10 months.
DS Paul Powley, officer in charge of the investigation, said the sentence was "wholly insufficient".
Pervert Temple, 52, pleaded guilty at Bournemouth Crown Court on May 30 to four counts of indecent assault against his former pupil - who has learning difficulties - over three years when she was aged 16-19.
Temple's contract was terminated by the governors on June 20.
Prior to that he had been suspended pending a disciplinary hearing.
At Portsmouth Crown Court yesterday, Judge John Beashel, said: "I've listened to everything said about you and it is indeed a tragedy for you and your family that after 30 years of teaching you should end up in the dock.
But you had a position of trust at a school for children with learning difficulties." Judge Beashel told Temple he would serve half his 21-month sentence but will be put on licence for two years on release when he will be supervised and placed on the sexual offenders' programme.
The court heard how Temple, of Green Bottom, Wimborne, indecently assaulted his victim three times at her home and once in a classroom - where he locked the door and put cardboard against the window.
He was discovered at the victim's home in a state of undress.
Derwent Hope, for Temple, said his client admitted abusing his position of trust and was remorseful.
Former headteacher of the school from 1978-1992, Tim Munford, said Temple was devoted to his pupils and the whole episode had left him a broken man.
Speaking outside the court the victim's father slammed a judicial system which he said portrays the abuser as the victim.
"My daughter has received a longer sentence than him - she's going to need counselling for a long time to get over what he did to her," he said.
"We couldn't believe these people standing up in court saying what a tragedy it was for him.
Why couldn't one of our family or friends get up and say what it's done to our family and our daughter?"
