A married British teacher who fled with a 15-year-old schoolgirl to France agreed Tuesday to be extradited, as his lawyer said the arrested fugitive wanted his "full story" to emerge.
Asked if he was ready to be handed over to British judicial authorities for questioning, 30-year-old Jeremy Forrest, who was dressed in a checked shirt and jeans, told a court in Bordeaux: "Yes."
During the 20-minute hearing, he gave one-word affirmatives to questions relating to his identity and whether he accepted a European arrest warrant.
The prosecutors told him he risked a minimum three-year term in Britain for "kidnapping a minor" while he could be held for up to five years in France if he was convicted for taking away a child from parental authority.
His pupil, Megan Stammers, was flown back to Britain on Saturday after the pair were found in the southwestern French city.
"Now that Jeremy has agreed to be extradited back to the U.K. as soon as possible, we look forward to the story emerging, the full story emerging, in the coming months," his lawyer Philip Smith said.
"Naturally, Jeremy is most concerned about the impact of this episode on all those affected," Smith said.
"He will make no further comment whilst the judicial process takes place and he's cooperating with the authorities."
French prosecutors had earlier said they were favorable to an extradition following an arrest warrant issued by Britain on September 25.
The pair had boarded a cross-Channel ferry together on September 20.
Security camera pictures were released of them holding hands and walking arm in arm aboard the ferry from Dover to the northern French port of Calais.
Their parents had appealed for them to get in touch but played down fears that the schoolgirl could be in any danger.
There was never any suggestion that Stammers was taken by Forrest against her will.
The pair were discovered strolling down Bordeaux's main shopping street on Friday after a member of the public recognized Forrest from media coverage of the runaways. They were on their way to a job interview. (AFP)
<관련 한글 기사>
10대 소녀 데리고 도망간 유부남, 佛서...
15살 된 여학생을 데리고 프랑스로 도망가 한동안 영국을 떠들썩하게 했던 유부남 교사가 프랑스에서 잡혔다.
AFP통신 등 외신은 제레미 포레스트 (30)가 지난달 28일 (현지시간) 프랑스 보르도 지방에서 체포되었으며 오는 4일에 영국으로 인도될 것이라고 보도했다. 그와 함께 도망친 메건 스태머스 (15)는 지난달 29일 귀국했다.
포레스트는 현재 미성년자 납치혐의를 받고 있으며 이로 인해 영국에서 최소 3년의 징역형을 받을 수 있다.
그는 청문회에서 “영국으로 인도될 준비가 되어 있느냐,” “유럽 체포영장을 받아들이겠느냐” 등 질문에 대해 단답형의 대답만을 했을 뿐 말을 아꼈다고 한다.
지난달 20일에 영국해협을 건너 프랑스로 간 포레스트와 메건은 같은달 29일, 취업을 하기 위해 면접을 보러 가던 도중 이들을 알아본 이언 로버레지 (48)의 신고로 발각되었다.
로버레지는 메건이 서있는 것을 보고 그녀라는 것을 알아차렸다면서 이 커플이 같이 있는 동안 “매우 편안해 보였으며, 명백히 함께 있고 싶어하는 것처럼 보였다”라고 증언했다.
