“ON THE BORDERLINE”

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 58, 2 December 1926, Page 13

“ON THE BORDERLINE”

SERIOUSNESS OF OFFENCE IN THE MOTIVE. Dominion Special. Nnlson, December 1. Stressing the fact that young girls must be protected, a bench of justices of the peace sentenced a man to 14 days’ imprisonment in the Magistrate’s Court to-day for unlawfully assaulting a girl, 15 yeaxp of age. Accused was John William Grossi (aged 26). A plea of guilty was entered. Senior-Sergeant Barrett, who prosecuted, said the facts were that at about 2.45 yesterday afternoon accused melt the girl up the Zig-Zag. She was accompanied by her brother and sister, aged respectively M and 12. Accused spoke to them several times, and eventually put his arm around the neck of the elder girl, making a suggestion about going off the track with him. The girl refused, and said she would tell. The police were subsequently informed, and later in the afternoon accused was arrested. Counsel for accused, in asking that probation be extended, said that his client had acted more like a fool than a criminal. He pointed out that accused had desisted from his attentions when requested, and asked that the offence he not treated in a serious light. Senior-Sergeant Barrett said the seri©usness of the offence was what was behind it. The Bench said they could no£ treat the matter too lightly. It was quite a common thing for children to go up the Zig-Zag, and they must be protected. The very fact of molesting a child was a serious one. Every protection must be given to little children, and a lenient view could not be taken of the matter. . Counsel repeated his application for probation. The Bench: What do you think of that, sergeant? The senior-sergeant replied that he took a serious view of the matter. If the girl had been alone, the offence might have been still more serious. Ac- ’ cused was very lucky that he was not charged with a more serious offence. It was just on the border line. Tho Bench said that accused had no right in any shape or form to interfere with the girl. “We are here to protect families and children from assault of this description,” said the justice of the peace, in sentencing accused to 14 days’ imprisonment.