"MENACE TO YOUTH"

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 129, 27 November 1929, Page 12

"MENACE TO YOUTH"

APPALLING DEPRAVITY

YOUNG GIRLS AND CRIME

Such gbls as these, if left at large, are, and will be, not only a danger to themselves, but a menace to the youth of the community, and they are simply inviting the commission of crime of the description which the prisoner has committed.

This observation was made by the Chief Justice (the Hon. M. Myers) in the Supreme Court to-day, when James Webster Bittle, aged 28, appeared before him for sentence on two charges of indecent assault on a female child, and two charges of obscene exposure. I The offences were committed at Petone.

"This case is a very painful one from two points of view,"" said his Honour, addressing the prisoner. "First of all, it is very painful to yourself— I don't wish to refer to other members of your family—and secondly, from the j point of view of the community in that circumstances are disclosed to which I consider it is the bounden duty of the Court to draw public attention in somewhat forcible terms. It is painful from your point of view because from the papers that are submitted to me it appears that up to the present time you have borne an excellent character, and you have been a decent and respectable citizen. That is one of the circumstances I need hardly say.l will take into consideration in dealing with your case.

"The importance of the matter from the public viewpoint, however, is this, that the papers .before me disclose depths of depravity on the part of young girls of eleven and twelve years of age which are as appalling as they are amazing. One might hope that such cases are as uncommon as they are appalling, but, unfortunately, those of us who have to do with criminal law know the contrary." His Honour stated that he was not speaking of the past few months during which he had been in his present position, but from experience of his association with criminal law in the past few years. "This is the fourth case within the short space of less than a month in which there has been evidence before this Court of depravity of the most serious kind on the part of young girls," continued his Honour. "I referred to this particular aspect of the matter in a case that came before me some three week ago, and I should not have made special mention now but for the ages of the two girls in the present ease. Now, the point I-want to come to is this, that such girls as these, if left at large, are, and will, be not only a danger to themselves, but a menace to the youth of the community, and they are simply inviting the commission of crime of the description which the prisoner has committed.

"My regret is that there is no power in this Court on the disclosure of such cases as this to commit the girls to an institution for a term of years for correction and discipline. I make the suggestion that this Court should be invested with such power, and I commend that suggestion to ,the consideration of the proper authorities. Unfortunately, in a way, the fril facts of this case and others of a similar kind as disclosed by the depositions, are unpublishable. If they could.be published, I am satisfied the community | would be greatly shocked, and would agree with every word I have spoken hero to-day."

In conclusion his Honour said that the prisoner must be punished, but he thought that in the circumstances the ends of justice would be sufficiently met if a -sentence was passed that the prisoner be kept in prison for twelve calendar months for reformative purposes.

The prisoner was represented by Mr W. E. Leicester.