GRAVE CHARGE

NZ Truth, Issue 1141, 13 October 1927, Page 3

GRAVE CHARGE

♦ Young Maori Sent For Trial

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Gisborne Rep.) The question of whether an entry m an old family bible is admissible as evidence of the age of a Maori girl, who was adopted as a baby, may be an important factor m the trial of Eripi Te Hau, a young native, who was charged at Gisborne last week with a serious offence against a 13-year-old girl. MEDICAL evidence was given as to the girl's c6ndition, it being stated that she was well-developed for her age. The girl stated that she was 14 years of age on September 13. In April last the accused had taken her home from a dance and committed the offence. She denied that she had been intimate with hmy other boys. The police submitted a statement m which the accused admitted the offence, but maintained that it had been at the instigation of the girl herself. The girl's father gave evidence as to her age, stating that she was one of 12 children, the births of whom were recorded m the family bible. Lawyer Stan. Beaufoy, for the accused, submitted that there was no evidence as to when the entry m the bible had been made, but the police intimated that an adjournment would enable further testimony to be called. The following morning the girl's mother corroborated the evidence as to the child's age, stating that the entry m the bible was made about a week after the girl's birth. When Lawyer Beaufoy pointed out that the ten entries m the bible all appeared to have been made with the same pencil, the witness agreed thai, this might be the case, but she denied that they had all been written up at the same time. The girl, she said, had been adopted as an infant by two very old relatives and they had allowed her to attend dances frequently. Lawyer Beaufoy again objected to the evidence of the bible being accepted and pointed out that the girl could easily be taken for 16. On these grounds he asked for the charge to be dismissed. Magistrate Levvey, however, considered that the case should be left to a jury and the accused was accordingly committed for trial.