CHILD BEATEN

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 35, 21 December 1943, Page 5

CHILD BEATEN

ELDERLY MAORI CHARGED IXCIDKXTS AT TIC TKKO "In our opinion there have •been too many instances of childbeating" in this country" of l&te, ;and in this district particularly," observed the bench when sentencing an elderly Maori Timoti Teehi (Timothy Chase) who appeared in the "Whakatane. Court on three charges of assaulting his thirteen year old adopted ston, Jimmy Chase, to a month's imprisonment on each -charge, sentence to be concur- ' rent. Messrs J. G. Mulholland' and T. M. Cummings ) J.P.'s, were on the bench. 'Phe accused who spoke excellent "English pleaded guilty on various ■dates to having broken a broom handle across the. boys legs, to beating him with the buckle end ol a belt and indicting head wounds and thrashing liim across the back, legs -and arms with a piece of wood. 'Sergeant Farrell described Teehi as a farmer residing on the Calatea Road, and. one who otherwise bore an excellent character and was widely respected, in the district. He had adopted the boy concerned Maori fashion, since he. Avas a few -weeks old and had reared him as a .son. As the boy grew older however the treatment he received from accused began to cause, widespread concern and neighbours, had finally threatened to report him to the XJoliee. unless he desisted. Ihe boy was left to wander round the farm, the house, being locked when accused went away in the morning, thereby preventing him from obtaining any food. As a result of this sort of treatment he. had gone repeatedly to one of the neighbours for protection. On the Kith December, this neighbour had found the boy in a Arery distressed, condition on the side of the road. He was. badly bruised about the body and bleeding and ■complained that he had been beaten by' accused, with a piece of wood. "The neighbour had thereupon eomwith the. police.

When interviewed accused had been quite frank admitting having assaulted the boy because he would not go to school. It was the. intention of the Police, added. Sergeant Farrcl'l, to endeavour to place the boy under the control of the Child Welfare Officer.

Mr B. S. Barry Avho defended, •said 'that the main thrashing had been the culmination of a series ol' misdemeanours by the- boy. He had simply refused to go to -school and <ls a result the accused had received several' letters from the headmaster of the Te Te'ko School threatening action. The boy preferred to hang round the farm, breaking and entering neighbours' properties and stealing. He was becoming absolutely incorrigible,, with the. result that Teehi had finally lost his .temper and given him the thrashings complained of. He deeply regretted his action now and suggested that the boy be sent to some institution where, he could be kept under proper control and discipline.

In imposing the sentence the bench observed also that not only should the police see that the child was; placed undin - the proper authorities but also that accused's other two adopted children who Ave re .younger should also be protected.