July 1998 Former assistant head jailed for abuse of pupils A FORMER assistant headmaster was jailed for seven years yesterday watched by the women who were sexually abused by him while they were primary schoolchildren in his care. Pervert John Forsyth tricked victims by saying he was doing a survey for a television sex education programme.  It was more than 20 years before they finally plucked up the courage to bring him to justice for his three-year reign of terror.  One victim said yesterday: “I hope he suffers in jail for what he did to us.”  Forsyth, 50, was seen as a hard working teacher and rose quickly through the ranks after qualifying in 1972.  But behind that mask, the depraved teacher struck terror into the hearts of pupils at Tullos primary school in Aberdeen.  A strict disciplinarian, he would single out victims from primary six and seven pupils and from sports classes.  The girls, aged 10 to 12, were lured to his school office where most of the sex offences took place.  He would watch a TV sex education programme with them before the attacks.  Graham Bell, prosecuting, told the High Court in Aberdeen: “On occasions, he carried out what he described as a survey of their body measurements.”  Some victims from the school volleyball team were asked to come to his office for special relaxation exercises.  Forsyth also pounced on another victim as she put equipment back in a storeroom after netball practice.  A member of the school’s cross-country running team was singled out by Forsyth on her 11th birthday after being told she was “special”.  Some of the offences happened at Forsyth’s then home in Braemar Place, Aberdeen.  One girl made regular visits there and Forsyth had a special code for her.  If the curtains were open, that meant his wife was at home and if they were closed, then the girl could come in.  Forsyth would then take her to his own daughter’s bedroom and abuse her.  Mr Bell told the court: “He clearly exercised a considerable influence over them.”  Forsyth, now of Parkside Terrace, Edinburgh, admitted seven sex charges against girls from 1977 to 1980.  The father-of-two had at first accused the girls of lying before eventually cracking.  Murdo Mcleod, defending, said the only excuse Forsyth had was that his marriage was failing at the time.  He added that Forsyth had been given special counselling which had been so successful he had now qualified as a counsellor himself.  But Lord Philip told Forsyth he was guilty of crimes of the utmost gravity.  The judge added: “You inflicted damage which has affected the rest of their lives.”  Outside the court, one of his victims said: “This has left me emotionally scarred for life.  “I was 10. I always thought `no-one is going to believe me’ because he was so respected by other teachers.  “The way he treated us was just disgusting and I now plan to sue the education authorities.”