PARENTAL CRUELTY

Hokitika Guardian, 27 October 1932, Page 3

PARENTAL CRUELTY

EXAMPLES IN ENGLAND, i . . “CAES?",/Oil; - LONDON, October 22. Several distufninb tacts cniceriiiiig cruelty to children .are'contained in ’ the anual report of thedßrititsh ■Natiip - '.al* SomoLy for- ' the prevention of Cruelty to- Children for l@31 i 32‘. J ' > E'er-the’fifth year in succession the 1 society- report' an increase* in the aium"ber of cases cf 'violent©' against- eliilf dren, this year 38415 as compared 1 with 1 3518 in 1831. This total* -is‘ liigner -than, it has been since the year be- : fol'o ; the war. ! In ‘commenting upon there- figures the report 'states : “It' likely -that Ceases are more raad.ly reported to the society nowadays, whilst in ‘addition, easier facilities fur getting about have made the inspectors today almost as well known in the outer districts of their respective branches as' they ri'3 in the .towns where they reside. . Notwithstanding this view, there is, howgrave cause for concern.” ycrdl ppurtilliag oases of cruelty are reported 1 by tlie (society—a baby nine weeks old bad thirteen ilin;ri( s cau «d l,v its father's fist; a child of 2-1 yegrs held upside* down by-a man and whipped with a piece of oilcloth be* cause it had coin®: downstairs after lie- ; ing put to bed; and ;>■ girl <>• 14 "ho had- been .so ba-dly injured that she * ; hatf to be. wheeled intrt* court in a bath-chair.

“Tlibsc easos,” continues the report, * “arc* not inserted *fo harass the -reader, i who .could, without difficulty, he given even more* 'disturbing (‘are. i.liey are mentioned merely with one object. Them are pcoola who say.there is* no emblty to children- nowadays,-;“It; is l not truei” v .V' I '' • l - Tl-.*e ; tatdl- number of cftq.c i 5..4-apprtcd

to the society, or discovered hy their jnsp&ctors • during -the-year-,- wa ‘ J 4-3)246 (the'-*higbest since 1915-191(3),. and the society were able to- protect, or other-wis-e- heliu; 106,046 children', 'i - The nifmlber of cases’ bf corruption of morals rose from 260 to 27 1 ; abandonment fr'oln 56 to 80'; and" thoSb tinder the heading of Other "WrOilgs from 2316 to 2013.

.- The 'number of - oases dub fo drink has fallen steadily from 40.27 pel* cent. in ; 1914-15-to 8.25 in 1931-32. -