FSI Blog

A female teacher who allegedly told a 15-year-old male student to treat her like a sex slave has been charged with sexually penetrating a child.

Nazira Rafei, 25, a Melbourne high school teacher, is charged with one count of sexually penetrating a child under 16 and four counts of an indecent act with a child under 16. The incidents allegedly occurred at Roxburgh Park, in Melbourne’s outer north, in February and March this year. Police also accuse the teacher of making an unwarranted demand by harassing the student last Monday not to disclose the relationship. During a brief filing hearing at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday, Ms Rafei’s lawyer Steve Pica indicated she would plead not guilty. “This case is likely to attract a fair degree of media attention,” Mr Pica told the court. “I do want to place on the record that my client has been fully cooperative with police and is pleading not guilty.”

Ms Rafei was not required to formally enter a plea. Police allege Ms Rafei had sexual intercourse with a child under her “care, supervision or authority”. It is alleged on one occasion the teacher told the student to “treat her like a sex slave” as she lay on top of him pinching his nipples in the back seat of her car. Another charge relates to Ms Rafei allegedly kissing the student on his lips and touching his genitals through clothing. Two other indecency charges relate to her allegedly hugging in a “sexual context” and kissing on the mouth a child under 16 in her care.

Magistrate Felicity Broughton adjourned the case for committal mention on August 29. Ms Rafei made no comment as she left court flanked by her lawyer.