SEXUAL OFFENCES ALLEGED

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27395, 7 July 1954, Page 9

SEXUAL OFFENCES ALLEGED

EIGHT YOUTHS FACE NINETEEN CHARGES z 1 POLICE CONTINUING INQUIRIES (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 6. Police investigations revealed a shocking degree of immoral conduct among adolescents in the Hutt Valley, and altogether 60 youths and girls were involved in a total of 80 offences, said Senior-Sergeant F. W. Le Fort in the Lower Hutt Magistrate’s Court today, when eight youths appeared - before Mr W. H. Carson, S.M., on a total of 14 charges of unlawful carnal knowledge and five of indecent assault.

Three 17-year-old youths were remanded to appear in the Children’s Court.

John Lawrence Bowker, aged 19, a labourer, and Brian James Bowker, aged 18, an apprentice seaman, pleaded guilty to charges of unlawful carnal knowledge and were remanded for sentence until next week, for a probation officer’s report. Bail was allowed.

Three youths elected to be tried by jury and were remanded for a week. They are William Russell Lawrence, an apprentice carpenter (two charges of indecent assault), lan Patrick Miscall, aged 19, a printing machinist (three charges of unlawful carnal knowledge), and Graham Parkes Napier, aged 18, a labourer (six charges of unlawful carnal knowledge). The conduct spread into sexual orgies in private homes during the absence of parents and into several second-rate Hutt Valley theatres, Senior-Sergeant Le Fort said. The inquiry had involved many secondary school pupils of Hutt Valley, and in isolated instances Wellington secondary school pupils were involved. Many of the children involved came from co-educational schools, but none of the offences had occurred in school hours or on school premises, he said. In many cases children involved came from excellent homes. Parents almost without exception had been cooperative, and had assisted the police in an endeavour to wipe out the groups involved in the orgies. Inquiries, which were still being made, started originally about a group of youths and young girls meeting regularly in a Lower Hutt milk bar, he said.