Teacher banned for life after marrying 13-year-old girl

A physics teacher has been banned from the classroom for life after travelling abroad to marry a 13-year-old girl.

A Teaching Regulation Authority panel heard that during a summer break whilst working at the London Nautical School Joshim Nur, then 22, travelled to Bangladesh and married the girl and had a sexual relationship with her.

He claimed he thought the girl was 18 but the panel sitting in Coventry saw a statement from the girl who said she had written to the teacher before their marriage and told him her age.

Now Nur, 34, has been been banned from teaching for life. The panel ruled that he engaged in a relationship with the girl between August 2006 and April 2009 in circumstances when he should have known she was aged under 16.

The panel heard how the girl had been the subject of a video recording taken by Nur's father in which she confirmed her age - and that she believed Nur had seen the video.

The panel said she was consistent in her account in her initial complaint, police interview and the TRA proceedings - and they found her evidence to be compelling and credible.

Nur said in written evidence that he was “deceived” by her family as to his wife's age when they wed.

The panel chairman Dr Robert Cawley said: “He stated that he was unaware of her real age until she made a complaint to the police in 2013. 

“Shortly afterwards in Family Court proceedings in 2014 a clavicle bone test was undertaken to determine her real age.

“Mr Nur stated that he had understood that his wife was eighteen years old at the time of their marriage.”

He does not deny that he had sexual intercourse with Child A during their marriage.

The hearing was told Nur was a “gifted and valued member of staff” by his headteacher.

The panel said they “did not find it plausible” that he could have mistaken her for an 18-year-old, but acknowledged he appeared to be acting under pressure from his family to enter into the marriage “given that he met Child A just three days prior to their wedding”.

They ruled: “Mr Nur entered into a marriage and sexual relationship with a 13-year-old child. Mr Nur did not demonstrate any insight into his actions or their impact on Child A.”

Decision maker Alan Meyrick said: “In my judgement the lack of insight means that there is some risk of the repetition of this behaviour,” concluding that Nur is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and shall not be entitled to apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach.