Months of anguish have finally ended for a former West Coast teacher after he was cleared of a charge of indecently assaulting a 14-year-old female student.
Last year police and Child, Youth and Family spent months investigating former John Paul II School science teacher Andrew John McCarthy, 66, raiding his classroom and interviewing his students after the girl alleged he had indecently touched her.
The offence was alleged to have occurred on or about March 16, 2010. McCarthy said he touched the girl's glands under her neck because he suspected tonsillitis.
Another teacher who was present, Rudi Rupp, told police nothing untoward happened and the school's principal Kieran Stone accused police and CYFs of a witch hunt.
Mr Stone said at the time that Mr McCarthy was a good teacher and he had no concerns about him continuing to teach at the integrated Catholic school of 190 pupils.