JUDGE’S COMMENT ON SEX EDUCATION

Grey River Argus, 8 April 1948, Page 8

JUDGE’S COMMENT ON SEX EDUCATION

CHRISTCHURCH, April 7. “This seems to indicate that there is not sufficient sex education for boys and girls in this country’’, said Mr Justice Fleming in the Supreme Court. “Many of those who come before me have obtained their knowledge of sex in an irregular and regrettable manner. I know it is a debatable subject, but there is no doubt in my mind of the necessity for clean, straightforward sex education for young people so that they can be put on their guard against acquiring evil habits”. His Honour’s comment followed submissions by Mr K. J. McMenamin on behalf of a man who appeared for sentence on a charge of indecent assault on a male. Mr McMenamin said that the man had a good war record, a good spoidjjferecord, and had been a highly >respWted citizen. It was almost ij&redible that a man with his ‘iiaclwEbund should be capable of conmMMg an offence of this kind. He an excessive quantity the offence. Counselfmedical report to the Court,Honour said that, according to' TSMBeport, the prisoner had learned at school wnich he now to drop. When a 73. appeared for sentence ■ on a ■’qSK.igawaf indecently assaulting a girlsM|sd|Mr, His Honour said.Abftk.his preyMsgremarks apsfflKgy in this case, r ’■ -‘•Thii-hrWiL approaching senility? ll has probdrink, to which offence; but senselK, untaught girl rkWffiyTof him, y.l§Jting his stable r of dwesions, because she had no educational ®HB®wS®on such conduct”, said His on behalf of a maiy w,!fo 'iimpfjiirecl for sentence on a hurue pl, 'tmlawful carnal knowledge Mr H. W. Hunter SlWed from’Mßments by the ffisoner and vmnesses. said it seemed unfortunate the nffioner had not been represented by cminsel at the earlier proceedings, f® 'certain aspects of the case should Save been questioned.' “Here is another who, for lack of education in such matters or through precocity, may properly be regaraKd as a menace to any young man ww might have been in the prisoneiß place, a young man boarding wit®, her parents. The prisoner’s statement rings true, and although I am pre-, pared to accept much of it, I am not altogether satisfied with those of the girl or her parents—in fact, if it is true, as the prisoner suggests, that they allowed these things to go on under their very nose, as it' were, they should be before the Court —yet there is a duty on men to protect girls even against themselves”, # said His Honour. “