Teacher accused of child sex offence in Turkey faces extradition

A British teacher accused of sexually assaulting a child while teaching in Turkey has depression and should not be extradited, a court has been told.

Turkey has requested the extradition of Rebecca Richardson, 53, from Herefordshire, after she was accused of sexually assaulting a child at an international school in Istanbul.

The teacher, who lives in Cradley village near Ledbury, appeared before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

The court heard the alleged incident happened in early 2019, when the child would have been four or five years old.

The court was told that Ms Richardson left the UK in 2000 and spent nearly 20 years living abroad.

She lived in Turkey between 2013 and 2019, and previously lived in Mexico and Hong Kong, the hearing was told.

Doctors who have assessed her said she suffers from depression.

Dr Richard Latham said her symptoms of moderate depression would worsen if she were to be extradited and imprisoned.

Another medic, Dr John Tully, who gave evidence by video link, said her condition was mild, with “no objective signs she was severely depressed”.

Graeme Hall, representing Richardson, asked Dr Latham if her symptoms would worsen after extradition.

Dr Latham said they would.

Asked if her risk of suicidal thoughts would worsen if she were extradited, Dr Latham said: “Yes.”

He said the teacher can give the impression she “is in a better state than she is”.

Ms Richardson was granted conditional bail and she will face a further extradition hearing on 2 June.

The decision on her extradition is not expected until two weeks after that hearing.