SHAYEN PATHER AND HIS SHOCKING ABUSE IN BERKSHIRE
Shayen Pather, a man previously employed at Kings Langley School, has been found guilty of engaging in sexual misconduct with a minor, a case that has left a lasting impact on a survivor from Berkshire.This young woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, endured years of trauma stemming from her unfortunate encounter with Pather during her adolescence.
The survivor, now in her twenties, recounted her ordeal, revealing that her suffering began when she was just 12 years old.
Her narrative highlights the profound betrayal of trust by a teacher who was ostensibly there to educate and protect.
She explained that the incident occurred one day during her eighth year of school when she was sent to fetch split pins from a classroom down the hall.
Upon entering the room, she encountered Pather, who was then known as a popular, 'cool' teacher at Kings Langley School.
Despite his friendly demeanor and the special attention he paid her—calling her his A-star student—the student expressed that she never developed any romantic feelings towards him; she simply saw him as an adult authority figure.
Her account details how his behavior took a disturbing turn when, after inviting her over under the pretense of showing her her work, he suddenly acted inappropriately.
He yanked her tie into a knot during a game of 'peanutting,' which her classmates played for fun.
Confused and a bit embarrassed, she responded with nervous laughter, unaware of the gravity of what was about to unfold.
Without warning, Pather grabbed her upper arms, pulled her onto his lap, pushed her hair aside, and pressed his lips against her neck with force.
Paralyzed with fear, her eyes fixated on the door, and she felt overwhelmed by shock and betrayal, unable to comprehend why someone she had trusted was assaulting her.
Her instinct was to flee, and she scrambled from his grasp, pushing past him while tears streamed down her face.
As she ran through the hallways, he pursued her, attempting to stop her from escaping, instructing her to enter a walk-in cupboard in search of the split pins.
However, her instincts told her to resist, and she bolted toward the head of year’s office, calling out for help.
Looking out the window, she saw Pather chasing after her up the stairs.
Her account describes how she told the head of year about the assault, only to feel dismissed when questioned about her emotional state.
Her mother was called to the school, where an emergency meeting took place with the headteacher, who, to her distress, appeared skeptical of her story.
The young girl’s mother defended her, noting that she had spent considerable time comforting her beforehand.
Following her report, Pather was arrested, and the subsequent police investigations briefly suspended him from his teaching duties.
The school community buzzed with whispers, yet due to the lack of other witnesses and Pather’s insistence of innocence, law enforcement eventually decided to release him, allowing him to continue working at the school until she left in year 11.
Despite being barred from contacting her or teaching her directly, Pather’s presence lingered disturbingly in her daily life, as he would smirk at her or make flirtatious jokes, which she ignored.
The student was unfairly branded by her peers as a liar and an attention seeker, and most damagingly, they called her a 'sl*t,' further victimizing her.
Her struggles with her mental health escalated over time, as she developed a severe eating disorder.
She described how, after her traumatic experience, she began to binge on junk food and then induce vomiting to control her weight, which she believed would help her regain a sense of confidence that had been stolen from her.
Her self-esteem was shattered, and her obsession with thinness grew during the early 2000s, influenced by the prevailing beauty standards of the era, notably the figure of Kate Moss.
She would skip meals for weeks, then indulge in impulsive binge-eating sessions involving bags of crisps, biscuits, sandwiches, pastries, and chocolates.
Following these episodes, she would force herself to vomit repeatedly, in a destructive cycle that persisted over months.
Her relationship with her family suffered as her secret behaviors became more evident.
She recounted how she would avoid meals altogether, making excuses and hiding her food as she desperately tried to manage her anxiety about her weight and appearance.
Christmas Eve was particularly difficult when she refused to eat pizza, even using kitchen roll to hide the cheese off her slices, overwhelmed by feelings of guilt and desperation.
Her reflection details the profound self-loathing she felt—comparing her body to images in magazines and squeezing her flesh painfully, only permitting herself minuscule amounts of food.
Throughout her teenage years and into her twenties, she attempted to recover but found herself caught in a relentless cycle of binging and purging.
Her reluctance to seek help was rooted in her past experience with the medical system, where her physical appearance did not meet the thresholds for concern and she was often dismissed.
She emphasizes that eating disorders are mental illnesses, not merely issues of body size, and stresses the importance of early intervention.
In 2014, nearly a decade after her assault, she learned that Pather had re-offended.
This revelation was devastating, bringing back the horror of her childhood trauma.
Determined to prevent him from harming others, she wrote a letter to her former school, urging them to take responsibility and treat victims with respect.
Her actions led to police involvement, and she was asked to give a statement.
Finally, on October 20, 2014, Pather appeared before St Albans Crown Court and pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual activity with a child in a position of trust.
The court sentenced him to nine months of imprisonment and ordered registration as a sex offender for ten years—the registration period will end in four years.
While her personal pursuit of justice fell short of a lengthy prison sentence, her relief at his incarceration was palpable.
She described how, despite the whispers and rumors following his conviction, she received messages of support from old acquaintances who finally believed her story.
The knowledge that Pather would no longer pose a threat by working around young girls brought her some peace, though she admits that the scars of her past continue to influence her life.
Her story underscores the devastating impact of abuse and the long road to healing.
She affirms that her strength stems from her 12-year-old self—a girl who endured unimaginable trauma yet fought to survive and rebuild.
Though she recognizes the ongoing challenges, she takes pride in her resilience and the progress she has made, refusing to let the past define her entirely.
