VICTIMISING A YOUNG GIRL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2732, 29 March 1916, Page 8

VICTIMISING A YOUNG GIRL

A SALUTARY SENTENCE. By Telegraph—Press Association, Auckland, March 28. la the Police Court this afternoon, before Mr. Frazer, S.M., a young man of 27, giving the (name of James Fraser, and describing himself as a carpenter, of the Thames, was charged "That oh March 20, with intent that a young girl under the age of 18 should be unlawfully and carnally known, ho took her out of tho possession ,of her mother .without her parents' consent.i' Sub-Inspector M'llveney stated that the girl was seventeen years of age, and as she had obtained a creditable position at school her parents had brought her to Auckland with a view to giving her the benefit of higher, education. Accused had known the girl for some time. About March 16 ho came to. the city wKh £16 in his At that time the mother was living in the Ponsonby district, and-on the morning of the 20th she dispatched the girl to school. _ To her astonishment the girl did not" return, and no trace of her was obtained until this morning, despite tho enorgetic inquiries of tho poW. The police have now learned that when Fraser arrived in the city he saw the girl and renewed his acquaintanceship ! with her. He took her to tho picture ! show,, and for several "joy-rides" in taxis. All this tunc tho mother was I absolutely ignorant of what was going on. and'believed the girl to bo attending school; The sub-inspector outlined the movements of the accused and tho girl at various hotels.- Subsequently tho man's money vas running out, andhe had to pawii his watoh in order to rraintain the girl and • himself. On Thursday last the girl became so ill that Fraser had to call upon the assistance of tho licensee of the hotel in which he and the girl were living. Tho suspicions of the licensee's wife were ultimately aroused 'in consequence of the prominence given to the case in the newspapers, and she approached.Fraserand told him that she believed the girl he represented to.be his sister was the cue reported'to be missing, but as she could not get'.any. satisfaction' from him she communicated- with the-police. When foflnd, tho man and girl were in the same room. \ The accused was closely questioned by the' Magistrate as to. his intentions, lie admitted.that he had not consulted the girl's parents in any way.'" Accused, in (answer to further questions, said his intentions were- good./ He. knew his money was coming to an end, but he intended to go back to the farm where he had been, working. He did not know that be could not marry the girl without'getting her parents' consent, but he hoped to go and see them and arrange matters. ' " ' The girl, jn reply to the Magistrate, said she intended to go home and stay ' there till accused sent for ..her. She also hoped to work for her own living, i Tho Magistrate, in passing sentence, said he did not know what the parents' wishes were or what the girl s ■ view might be when'she came to think it over._ Theoccused might havo had honest'intentions, but he Was 10 years older than the girl, and in taking her .away he had done a very ' heartless thing, seeing that her good name would : have suffered even if their intentions had beeii innocent. He could not let the., of possible marriage affect his decision. Accused was liable to 12 months' hard labourv He would be sentenced to three months, to, be followed by not more than twelve months' • reformative detention. ■ ""-