South London teacher Robert Hanna banned from teaching for having sex with pupil

A science teacher has been banned from the teaching profession after having sex with a 16 year old pupil.

Robert Hanna, 46, a science teacher at school in Southwark, was banned from teaching indefinitely by the Teaching Regulation Agency on 29 November 2024.

Hanna was previously sentenced to 3 years in prison in 2021 after admitting sexual activity with a child whilst in a position of trust. He had helped the 16 year pupil achieve good grades in physics.

Hanna groomed and had a sexual relationship with the pupil, after meeting her with other peers socially during a school prom where he brought alcohol with him. He engaged in sexual intercourse with her at hotels and his house over a four month period.

Hanna was dismissed from the school and arrested by the police after the pupil found the courage to tell another teacher about the relationship in April 2019.

I hope this decision will allow the pupil to eventually find closure, now that Hanna will never be able to act in a trusted position of a teacher again.

Sexual abuse survivors are entitled not only to report their crimes to police but also to seek compensation from the individual perpetrators and institutions if the perpetrator was their employee.

A civil claim for compensation can enable survivors to access funding for therapy and losses as a result of abuse they have experienced.

Anyone who has suffered abuse in a school setting can contact me directly for free, no-obligation advice about their rights.