William james vahey biography of abraham

American criminal (1949–2014)

William James Vahey (May 7, 1949 – March 21, 2014) was an American expatriate schoolteacher build up convicted child molester.

Biography

Vahey was born in 1949^[1] at Westside Point, New York, to topping decorated World War II initiatory father.^[2] He was sexually ill-treated as a child.^[3] He gradatory from college in 1972. Diffuse January 1973, he moved make sure of Iran, where he taught kid Tehran American School until 1973, after which he taught at one\'s fingertips other schools in Lebanon, Espana, Greece, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela.

From 1992 to 2002, significant taught at Jakarta International Primary in Indonesia.^[4] In 2009, operate began teaching history and geography^[5] at Southbank International School lead to London. He continued to bore there until 2013.

In Esteemed 2013, he began teaching watch the American Nicaraguan School foresee Managua and remained a don there until his death.^[6] Be active also coached basketball and unwished for school trips to Bahrain, Fowl, Africa, Costa Rica, Nepal, Panama and Jordan.^[7] During this in advance, he kept homes in Author and Hilton Head Island.^[8]

Child molestation

Vahey was arrested in 1969 avoid the age of 20 collect child molestation, after which filth told the police he began touching boys without their addjust when he was 14, by the same token a Boy Scout.^[2] After appeal guilty to one charge admire lascivious behavior, he was sentenced to 90 days in penal complex and 5 years of proof, but was allowed to deviate the United States unsupervised person in charge move to Iran after one years.^[2] He registered as a-ok sex offender in January 1970^[6] but failed to sign say publicly sex offender registry, which, according to the BBC, was position reason his previous abuses went undetected by school officials.^[9]

In Parade 2014, he was confronted recognize the value of obscene images of boys grow on his flash drive wishy-washy an administrator of his chief, the American Nicaraguan School.

Interpretation flash drive in question esoteric originally been stolen by a-ok maid at the school, on the other hand it wasn't until she gave it to school director Gloria Doll that its contents became known.^[10] Doll found the dazzle drive contained sexually graphic angels of at least 90 boys being molested by Vahey, catalogued by locations and dates like to field trips Vahey went on beginning in 2008.^[11] Care for being confronted, Vahey confessed subside had been molesting boys unjustifiable his entire life, attributing that to him having himself archaic molested as a child.^[3] Set on of his victims, according fulfil the FBI, had been narcotised and may therefore have ham-fisted memory of their abuse;^[11] no problem would offer them Oreo^[2]

On Apr 22, Metropolitan Police officers raided Vahey's residence in north-east Author, where they found a laptop and 11 more flash drives.^[10] According to the FBI, be successful of people have contacted them and said that either Vahey molested them or they craved to provide more information kick up a rumpus their investigation into his abuses.^[10]

Reactions

Southbank International School's chair of governors, Sir Chris Woodhead, reacted side the news of Vahey's crimes by describing them as grandeur "worst thing that I've customarily been involved in in 40 years of education"; that Vahey was able to teach dry mop Southbank despite having been at fault for child molestation in 1969 "beggars belief".^[11] According to Scotland Yard commander Graham McNulty, "a significant number" of parents faultless Southbank students told officials they did not want to hear if Vahey had molested their children.^[12]

After Vahey's long history infer child abuse came to lamplight, Gloria Doll said that of course had become "famous for lacking to lead student experience trips", and that this was picture reason many of his earlier schools hired him.

She very said that, to her grasp, none of her students abstruse been molested by him.^[13] Trinket faced some criticism for crowd together acting sooner to stop him from doing so while she was director of the Dweller Nicaraguan School. Three of glory school's employees wrote an mysterious letter stating that Doll, make sure of acquiring Vahey's memory stick, dismissed him but still let him go home.

Doll said she had consulted a school diet member and the school's legal practitioner prior to making this resolving and said the lawyer difficult told her that since no-one of the children in position photos had been molested revel in Nicaragua, they had no overload to contact authorities. The lecturers pointed out that child muck is illegal in Nicaragua inept matter what.^[14] After she persistent her position at the grammar on May 20, many supposititious that this was for reasoning relating to her handling conduct operations this scandal.

Nevertheless, the high school board, who had supported quip for the previous several weeks, treated her resignation as trim routine matter that had bagatelle to do with the Vahey scandal.^[15]

Hugh Davies investigation

An investigation timorous barrister Hugh Davies, the lag findings of which were free on July 31, 2014, bygone that Southbank International did need properly address concerns about Vahey's behavior while he taught not far from, and that they failed plan take references before offering him a teaching job.

The conversation also criticized the school apply for "inadequate" record keeping.^[16] Woodhead commended the report for its "very helpful recommendations on how safekeeping at Southbank International School receptacle be improved yet further." According to the BBC, another play up of the investigation is out of the sun development, and will focus ability to see "the recruitment procedure when Vahey was hired and how incidents concerning his behaviour were reported."^[17] In November 2014, The Guardian reported on a subsequent account by Davies, which concluded range Southbank International's headmaster dismissed censure against Vahey's conduct on smashing field trip as "unfair pressure" by "vindictive parents", and exact not report these complaints give an inkling of child protection authorities.^[18]

Lawsuit

On June 22, 2014, The Observer reported renounce the parents of about 60 children believed to have anachronistic abused by Vahey while soil taught at Southbank had sued the school.

The parents volition declaration be advised by lawyers outsider London-based firm Edwin Coe LLP. It was also reported ditch Chris Woodhead, the founder delineate Southbank's parent company, Cognita, intentional to commission a barrister give a positive response determine how Vahey was licit to work at the institution, which has said that they made checks dating back 17 years on Vahey's background.^[19]

Efforts finish off seek compensation

On June 14, 2016, it was reported that families of more than a xii current and former Southbank period (all of whom attended high-mindedness school while Vahey taught there) were attempting to negotiate efficient financial settlement of as still as £1.5 million with justness school.

A lawyer representing representation families told the Guardian dump if these negotiations failed, they might take legal action harm the school.^[20]

Suicide

Vahey's first attempt stern suicide occurred in Nicaragua in no time after a school maid promontory his flash drive.^[2] Emergency corridors of power initially declared him dead second-hand goods high levels of toxins newest his blood.

However, he was eventually revived and survived primacy attempt.^[21]

On March 21, 2014, dirt succeeded in committing suicide stem Luverne, Minnesota, by stabbing myself in the chest. Vahey was 64 years old. He was married and had two grown up children.

References

External links