A BOY who raped his teacher may have carried out the attack after suffering physical abuse himself, an independent report has concluded.

The youngster was 12 when he attacked his teacher during a one-to-one tutorial in County Durham last November, before stealing her car and fleeing to Tyneside.

Following the attack, Gateshead Area Child Protection Committee called in independent barrister Ian Kennerley, who specialises in child protection, to investigate.

His report, out today, concludes the boy's actions could not have been predicted.

Mr Kennerley found that the youth's behaviour may have been due to years of suffering physical abuse, before being taken into care.

A number of agencies in the region have worked intensively with the boy, who lived in Darlington but cannot be named, over the past few years, and each has contributed to the review.

Mr Kennerley said: "I have considered all aspects of the care and education provided to the child whild in care.

"By reason of his conduct towards other children, the child was identified as posing a high risk of perpetrating sexually abusive behaviour in future against other children.

"Such abusive behaviours resulted from the abuse which he himself experienced prior to his reception into care."

Mr Kennerley said: "He was the subject of expert psychological assessment and neither the assessment or his previous conduct indicated that adult women were at risk.

"Even against this background, his conduct on the day he raped his tutor came without warning, could not have been predicted and was without precedent."

He added: "The review has identified a number of shortcomings relating to the matching of children to foster placements and how risk assessment and management is undertaken to ensure public protection where children, who may pose a risk of serious harm to others, are cared for within the community."

The report and recommendations will be shared with all the organisations involved to help them determine any improvements that could be made to their procedures.

It will also be given to the relevant inspection agency to monitor the outcome of the recommendations.

The youth admitted rape and the theft of the teacher's car at Teesside Crown Court.

Judge Mr Justice Grigson told the boy - now 13 - that he must serve 21 months detention, but warned it was likely he would serve much longer