INHUMAN TREATMENT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1679, 5 October 1887, Page 2

INHUMAN TREATMENT.

Dunedin, Oo!ober 4 A aerioua case of child-beating was heard at the Police 0 'urt to-day, Augusta Mirgnret Powell being charged with wounding, assaulting and ill-treating Violet PoweU, A neighbor deposed to being called m on three separate occasions when the child was m a fit. ~ She was Bhown marks on the body which were Bald to be the results of falling. A boy of fourteen said that while looking through the fencu he saw the child being made to walk by being thrashed with a strap, «nd when she felt down she wab thrashed to make her get up. Dr Mmm said he had firat seen the child on the 18th September, and was informed that it had had a fit the day before, but was then better. There was a email mark on Itsnoso and upperjip e.iid to have been caused by a fall wfcea In a fit. Witness considered that waa quite possible,- and as the child waa better no farther treatment was required. On Saturday he was called again, and observed blue and black < marks on the child's face Oi asking tho cause he was told it waa a fall the child bad had the day before. Seeing bruises on the other Bide of the face he doubted that statement, There were black marka all over the child's body, more especially on the left side on the arm, lep, and thigh. He aaked the oause of the mark?, and acoused said eho had had I to beat the child owing to dirty habiti. She said that acme of the marks on the tLijh were done by hor, but the other marks Bhe could not account for. Witness did not notice any marks on the head, I ut it was so marked all over that It waa hard to find a place where there waa no mark. Had seen the child again tbi-i morning, and found the left fore-arm had been fraotured at no distant date. Blows would produce the marks he saw. The eff:Ct of these Injuries was that the ohi'd was extremely nervous, Very probably the beatings were tha cause of the fits. Oroßa-examined — Other causes alone might account for the fit?. The arm might have been broken by 0. fall against some hard Bubstance, bat for this injury there was no grievous bodily harm. The child was well nourished and fed. Mr Donniston, for the defence, contended that the only " grievous bodily harm " sustained by the child was the fraoture of the arm, and there wag no evidence to show that this waa caused by the aooused, nor to Bhow any direot violence on. her part, nor to show that sho had aoy i 1- will towards the child, or any desiro to do it an injury, She openly called m neighbors and voluntarily stripped tho child for their inspection. A reprimand or fine would meeo tho case The bench found that tha child had been very grossly ill-treated, and would fine the accused £5, and order her to fiud sureties, herself m £20 and another iv the earue sum for her conduct for aix montho. Inepsctcr Weldon Bpplied for cost 3 which were granted.