Woman Acquitted On Child Murder Charge

Chronicle (Levin), 14 May 1948, Page 5

Woman Acquitted On Child Murder Charge

WANGANUI, May 13. "Aecused'.s statement does not con-vir-t her, so where then do you get prooi of her guilt '? There is no other souree. She is entitled to an acquittal. " So said Mr. Justiee Cornish in summing up the evidenee today in the case 111 which yiary Theresa Loo, a inarned woman, aged 26, was charged with the murder of her four-year-old daughter, Gale Kingi, at Ohakune on Deceml>er 3 last. After hearing his Ho"iiour Ihe jurv took eight minutes to return with a verdict of not guilty and accused was discharged. The case arose as the result of the leath of the child at the Raetihi I-ios-pital where it had been admitted when in an unconscious state. An unsue■essful operation had been performed. The child was buried, the mother Iiaving advised that it had suft'ered an injurv when falling backwards down the steps when c.arrying a rockinghorse from the house out into the yard. Later, suspieions were aroused and the body was exhumed. Afedieal evidenee was to the effect that there had been iin identation in the skull at the time of death which the doctors thought was more likelv to have been caused by ■i blow or blows rather than from a fati. Or. P. P. Lyncli, patholog'ist, of Wellington, hoAvever, who conducted the post-mortem examination after the exlimnation of the body, said that the indentation could have been a norniai rariation in the anatomy of the skull. The .Tudge said tliat the police were justified in charging accused and the .Tustic.es in committing her for trial. The grand jurv also was justified in finding- a true bill.