Teacher Stories

This Has Happened Before

AN - TW for rape & sexual assault (not graphic)

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"Any girls going on the Rome trip, can you go to room 23 at break please?" Mrs Johnson told her form class and the trio at the back of the class nodded.

"Why is it just girls Miss?" A boy who was also going on the trip asked.

She shrugged. "It doesn't say James."

Sophie, Ella and Cerys were at the back of the class and they were all going, discussing what the meeting could be about.

When break time rolled around, the three headed to room 23, taking seats at the back of the class. It was a history trip only open to year tens taking History for GCSE, so there were no more than forty of them in total. The teacher leading the trip, Miss Morris, was sat at her desk at the front of the classroom.

The other two female staff going on the trip, Miss Williams and Miss Paron, entered the classroom last and sat on the table at the front.

"Hey guys, thanks for coming, have we got everyone?" She did a quick count. "Yeah brill. So, I've been running this trip for five years, but this trip has been going for about fifteen years. Every year, I have this talk with the girls who are going. And what I'm going to talk to about is going to sound ridiculous and you're going to think 'that would never happen' but this has happened before. And I hate that I have to have this talk with you, so I apologise in advance."

The girls were now a bit worried, evidently and Sophie more than most.

"We are going to Rome, and it's July so it's going to be very very hot. But I would like to request that you wear proper clothing, that covers everything. That means appropriate shorts and tops that cover your chest." Miss Morris sat on the table at the front. "And I hate that I have to tell you this, and most years, girls will ignore me, and it's usually ok. And I know that this is not a factor but at least then if it happens they can't say that it was because of what you were wearing."

Polly asked. "Miss, what are you on about?"

"On the first trip of this, someone got raped. And I don't want it to happen again because the last time, they got away with it because the girl was wearing really tight shorts and the rapist apparently couldn't have gotten them off without help."

The girls were truly silent and Miss Morris carried on. "Obviously now, we are much more careful to stick more together, but we will obviously have a WhatsApp group that you can contact me on if there's a problem. I don't ever want to be in a situation where I get that call though, so I want you to be in threes at all time and always stick together. So yeah, just please pack sensible clothing and know the risks. Have a nice day guys."

The girls left the classroom in stunned silence.

"You ok Jen?" Tess Paron asked her. "Seemed to really affect you this time."

Jen Morris took a shaky breath. "Its been fifteen years since it happened. And I'm just scared recently, mostly for no reason. Sorry about that."

Megan Williams smiled and rested a hand on Jen's shoulder. "It's ok, we're here for you."

Two weeks later

"OK, Sophie, Cerys, Ella. Room 304."

It was a fairly small hotel but it was good enough for the five days that they were spending there. The girls had the third floor to themselves and the boys had the second floor to themselves. The teachers were on the same floors as the kids, Miss Morris, Miss Williams and Miss Paron all in rooms next to each other with Jen in the middle.