The broadcaster Cathy Newman has said she was sexually harassed and humiliated by teenage boys while attending an elite private school on a scholarship.

The Channel 4 News presenter told how the experience had an impact on her confidence at a young age and said she was speaking out as school terms start in an attempt to encourage girls to report harassment and bullying.

Newman was 16 and had just arrived at Charterhouse, an independent day and boarding school in Surrey, when, she said, a boy unzipped his flies and made her touch his penis with her hand.

“I didn’t talk to anyone about it [for years],” she said.

“Now we’ve got online abuse and the [concern] about someone taking a naked photo. I think back to that incident. How much worse would it have been if it had been being filmed and put out [online]?”

Newman, who was one of a few girls admitted to the school’s sixth form, also described being sprayed with water by boys when she was wearing a white shirt so they could see her bra. Male pupils also used to give her and other female peers scores for their looks when they came into the school’s chapel, she said.

The journalist said that it was only last year that she spoke to her parents about her experiences at the school, where her father was a teacher.

“Being the daughter of a teacher made me an easier target,” she told the Sunday Times.

“There’s the royalty and the mega-rich [at the school]; I was a master’s daughter,” Newman said. “Because I was a scholarship kid, I didn’t pay any fees, and that again was a point of difference, and kids go for that.”

A statement issued by Charterhouse in response to Newman’s claims said: “Charterhouse was first made aware of these serious allegations [on Saturday]. If disclosures such as these regarding a current pupil were made to us today we would report them immediately to the statutory authorities and act to safeguard any pupils affected whilst statutory enquiries took place.

“Having now been made aware of these particular allegations we have reported them to the police and will assist them fully in any investigation. While the events are said to have happened some time ago, they are deeply shocking. Such behaviour has no place in any school.

“Charterhouse has a zero tolerance policy towards bullying or harassment of any kind, and puts the welfare of all pupils above every other consideration. We will continue to assist the appropriate authorities with any enquiries but will not be making further statements at this time.”

In May, the Department for Education published updated guidance for school governing bodies, teachers and others on sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools and colleges. Guidelines on how schools should handle sexual abuse come into force this week.



Sexual harassment of girls is rife in schools but goes largely unreported and unaddressed, with many teachers ill-equipped to tackle the problem, research found last year.

More than one in three girls in mixed secondary schools told a survey for the National Education Union and the campaign group UK Feminista that they have been sexually harassed at school, and 24% have been subjected to unwanted physical touching of a sexual nature.

The use of sexist, misogynist language was also found to be widespread, with 66% of female sixth-form students complaining that they have either experienced or witnessed the use of sexist language in schools.