BROKEN HOMES BREED CRIME

Chronicle (Levin), 23 July 1947, Page 7

BROKEN HOMES BREED CRIME

-Press AssoctcJlon

WAYWARDNESS OF YOUTH ] BISTURBS JUDGE

Bv Teleqravh-

AUCKLAND, July 22. Crime in tlie city and district of Auckland is disturbing, in the view of i Mr. Justiee Callan, who today addressed the grand jury at the opening of the criminal session of the Supreme Court. Another feature he stressed was the large proportion of dishonesty by young people, indicating a lack of home train ing. While glad to be able-to say that the criminal ea londar was ligh t, his Honour reminded the grand jury that it liad to deal only vvit' cases in whieh accused persons had pleaded not guilty. From week to week throughout the year on each Thursdav, the eourt had dealt Witli offenders wlio had admitted criminal offences. Up to date this year there had been 117 such persons sentenced for serious crime and the number for the past threo months had been 64, so that before oue jumpe'd to the conclu sion that the city and district of Auckland was freer from crime merely because of this light -calendar, one had to remember these figures, he said. "Many more than half the offences committed by persons who came up foi sentence, were offences against honesty and a disturbingly large proportion were committed by young men," he added. It was a disturbing feature that the great bulk of car conversions and substautiallv more than half the breaking and entering offences, continued to be^ done by not merely young men but also by very young men. His Honour directed attention to a message broadcast by Viscount Montgomery in whieh he reminded his lisleners that the strength of a nation dependuu, in tlie last resort, on the character oi' its people and that this eliaracter dopended on the foundation training in the home. "The nature of the business coming before the court appears to indicate that there are at least soine New Zealand homes where the parents are fail ing in their duty which this distinguish ed visitor mentioned," said his Honour. "Indeed I am not surprised this should be so. Every time a judge lias to sentence a prisoner he sees a report on the life history of the prisoner. In these reports week after week I have been struck by the cireumstances that in case after ca'se of youth going wrong, they havo not had home training because the home had been brolten up by the part ing of the parents. It s'eems to me natural anougli to suspect that those huraan beings who have proved imperfect in their performance of the duties of husband or wife, are also imperfect in the duties of parents. Even if that were not so, training has to be given in a family home and once a home is broken up, the e.liild losing oue parent has lost half its birthright. " Divorce statistics showed that divorce had increased great ly in any country where that had iiappeiied. It was fortunate if, as a consequential result, crime had not also increased, coneluded his Honour.