THE ABDUCTION CASE

Hokitika Guardian, 29 October 1920, Page 4

THE ABDUCTION CASE

WELLINGTON, Oct. 27. The Full Court of Appeal delivered judgment in the case in which application was made to have the. names of Dr Mackenzie and Dr Claridge struck off the medical register. The ju(l< r es, after traversing the evidence at great length, remarked that there seemed to have been\some personal lien from Mackenzie toqNattrasa which was unexplained. Mackenzie and Claridge admittedly took willing and active parts in a. carefully devised plan to abduct the girl, which plan they carried out, delivering her to the man who they knew t 0 be her seducer, and who could do nothing for her beyond making her his mistress. The Court considered that the evidence negatived the suggestions by Mackenzie and Claridge that the girl’s parents wished an illegal operation to be performed. The Court states that it decided the case of each doctor on his own evidence mainly, “though we are sorry that in a-very large measure we cannot regard it as trutlifuly given.” Their fantastic defence completely failed. Both Mackenzie and Claridge were guilty of grave inpropriety in conspiring with Nattrnss to get the gipl from a private hospital, ciaridge’s offence was not quite so serious'as Mackenzie’s, but he had offended in another direction subsequently by trying to deceive the Medical Board ats to his part in the, transaction. Claridge assured the hoard that he went to the hospital only as an onlooker, hut in fact he actually brought the girl opt- of the hospital, thereby colluding with Mackenzie to the full extent to which that practitioner was blameablo.