Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1926. A SEXUAL PERVERT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3046, 10 June 1926, Page 2

Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1926. A SEXUAL PERVERT.

IT is very rare that a Supreme Court judge is. called upon lo order the application of “the eat" to the hare back of a criminal in this Dominion, hut Ilis Honour Mr. Justice Reed imposed a flogging plus five years hard labour on a sexual per-, vert at Wellington this week. William Bannerman Rogers, a married man, aged 25 years, with previous convictions, .was the wrong-doer and his beas'tial and inhuman assault on a six-year-old girl was revolting and his punishment welltitled to the crime. In addressing the prisoner, His Honour said: “The present case is one of the worst l have known of this kind. The victim of your bestial lust was a little girl six years of age. She now lies in hospital suffering from veneral disease communicated by you to her. The offence was deliberate. This child, with her brother 8 years of age, was in a theatre. You went into that theatre and sat down beside her and ingratiated yourself, giving her sweets. 1 consider that it was then that you formed the intention. You took the children to Ly.all Bay, in the tram, sent the little boy away, and took the girl into the sandhils. Afterwards you ran away, though it was cold and raining. I cannot think of anything, more brutal than your actions right through.” The punishment, while acting as a deterrent, is necessary to protect society, but it is questionable whether the man, as well as others like perverts, will be sued from further acts unless a more drastic remedy is imposed. The surest remedy in the surgeon’s knife.