Blidworth pensioner denies the historical rape and sex abuse of young girls

A Blidworth pensioner is standing trial accused of the historical sexual abuse of two nine year old girls and the rape of a 15 year-old girl.
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Christopher Metcalfe, 70, of Cross Lane, appeared at Derby Crown Court, where he denied two counts of indecently assaulting girls aged between 9 and 10, two counts of indecently assaulting a girl aged under 14 and one of raping a woman.

The complaints of sexual abuse are alleged to have taken place when he was a teacher at a primary school in Derbyshire or Skegby Hall when he was in his 30s.

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The allegations have made by three women who have told police they have never previously known each other.

At the opening of the trial today a jury watched a video of the first of Metcalfe’s alleged victims to contact the police about her ordeal.

The first complainant told police she had been sexually molested by Metcalfe at the age of about 10 when he was her primary school teacher. She said he had touched her private parts under the table in class as he read a story to them.

Another time he took pupils for swimming lessons. He had touched her intimately in a cubicle at a swimming baths which had been physically painful - and French kissed her.

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She said he would make certain girls stay behind on the premise of cleaning up the changing rooms.

On another occasion she had gone to his home and she had a distinct memory of sitting on his lap watching TV and feeling scared.

During cross examination, the woman told the court:”The memories are very vivid to me.”

She said afterwards she had told a friend at the time she never wanted to stay behind at swimming again.

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She said: “It is a difficult thing to talk about so my nine year old self would not had known how to have that conversation with another nine year old.”

She had told her own mother about the incident when she was 19 but had not gone to the police until later in life.

She said: “It was a cumulative thing - I have my own family and I felt guilt and shame as if it was somehow my fault- I felt I needed to do something.”

Earlier, outlining the case for the prosecution, Sarah Knight told the court The second complainant said Metcalfe had hit her with a belt and had touched her intimately.

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The third woman told police in 2014 that Metcalfe had raped her at his house during the time she was a 15 year old pupil at Skegby Hall.

Metcalfe worked as a teacher of rural studies at Skegby Hall, a social services run home with educational premises.

The case continues.

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