British teacher, 54, in court charged with sexually assaulting child as young as four at school in Turkey
A BRITISH teacher charged with sexually assaulting a young child at a school in Turkey has appeared in court.
Rebecca Richardson, 54, is accused of targeting the alleged victim when they were between four or five years old.
She appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today where she is fighting extradition to Turkey.
The court was told she allegedly sexually assaulted the child in 2019 while teaching at an international school in Istanbul.
Richardson, of Cradley in Herefordshire, left the UK in 2000 and spent nearly 20 years living abroad.
She lived in Turkey between 2013 and 2019, but before that had lived in Mexico and Hong Kong, the court heard.
Dr Richard Latham said Richardson suffers from moderate depression, but her symptoms would worsen if she were to be extradited and imprisoned in Turkey.
Asked by Richardson’s lawyer if her risk of suicidal thoughts would worsen if she were extradited, Dr Latham replied: “Yes.”
But another doctor told the hearing Richardson’s condition is mild and there are “no objective signs she was severely depressed”.
The teacher spoke only to confirm she would return to court for her next hearing on June 2.
She was granted conditional bail ahead of that appearance.
The decision on her extradition is not expected until two weeks after the next hearing.