THE JUVENILE COURT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1731, 23 April 1913, Page 3

THE JUVENILE COURT.

As tlw Alinister for Murine lias held an inquiry into the alleged flogging on tho Amokura, ■ I would like to respectfuUv suggest that the Minister for Justice should likewise have au investigation into the Hoggings (euphemistically known as "birching") administered by order of the Juvenile Court, and into the working of that, tribunal.

•The Juvenile Offenders Act directs that when corporal punishment is meted out, strokes shall bo applied with a "birch rod." Well, sir, a birch rod is not used; no doubt tlio instrument of punishment (a blood-curdling ons to look at) - was a rod originally, but it has .been purposely split for about half its length into a number of tails, and is thero bound with cord to 'prevent it splitting' further, the tuils. being bound also at the 1 ends. The result of this is, that when a boy is ordered, say, six strokes, he really receives a| number of stripes equal to six multiplied by the number of tails. I know the case of a Ixiy who was beaten so severely lliat his screams could bo heard from the closed cell behind tho watch-house (where the "birching" was infiicled) to the other side of Lambton Quay. When examined at his home, tho boy's back and loins were found to be literally covered with purple stripes, and where.the bound tail ends met over his hip, there was a eontuscd-looking bruiso w'hich remained plainly discernible sixteen days afterwards; a member of the Legislative Council saw the bruiso nine days after its infliction. •

The Juvenile Offenders Act further enacts that where birching is ordered, tho parents or guardians ■if they so choose, witness the punishment, but 'they aro not informed of this right by the Court. The Act should be amended io make it obligatory ou tl(o Court to do this.

Now- for another phase of tho Juvenilo Court: Ail oflicer ot the Labour Department Ims, I understand, been visiting some of the large centres of_tho Dominion inquiring among other things, into tlie scarcity of boy labour. Let him try Wcreroa, Stoke, Burnham, Cavershain, and otter sites of boy-reformatories. At Wcreroa alone-tliere are about two hundred and hfty (250) boys, and tho Education Departmental records can tell how many aro at the other placcs. Now, how is it so many hundreds—perhaps thousands—of boys out of our small population aro in this unfortunate predicament? In my opinion, it is largely the onicomo 3f tho methods of tho Juvenile Court. The Juvenilo Court was instituted with ;the test of intentions; but in secret tribunals abuses will creep in. Evidence is there tendered which would never bear tho light of day—tho evidence of infants iiom live to eleven years of age, who afterwards, when'relieved from tho hypnotism of the bluo uniform, have in some instances told quite an opposite story (as in the case of tho boy referred to). It is monstrous that respe'ctable, law-abiding citizens should have their children unmercifully scourged and taken from them, and their rights of guardianship cancelled on this class of evidence. Evidenco not only in justice, but in law, should have one valuo only; and infantile evidence which "it would bo a farco to put the country to tho expense" of placing More a Judge and jury should not carry any more weight, or- ho seriously taken oven in a secret tribunal. The Act should bo further amended to givo parents and guardians the option of removing proceedings into the open court. I could relate how a sergeant of polico manufactured "circumstantial evidence" in a juvenile caso by going through the performance of acting an alleged occurrence, but will refrain from going into details at tho present juncture. -I am, etc., BETA.