SO SINISTER

NZ Truth, Issue 1193, 11 October 1928, Page 7

SO SINISTER

♦— Criminals Cloaked By Statute (From "N.Z. Truth's" Ohristchurch Rep.) . ' . 'Are the prison authorities aware. that case-hardened criminals con* -nected m all manner of crime * with children are sheltering behind the lenient conditions governing ' the Children's. Court? ' ABE they aware that' these same criminals are being embraced m the wide-sweeping privilege of namesuppression designed to proteot young children who have momentarily slipped from- parental or adult control? The principle of bringing Juvenile offenders before a Children's Court, where they can be admonished and set on the right track again without having their future careers prejudiced through the publicity given to their misdeeds, is an admirable one. The powers given to magistrates, and an injudicious use of them ipecially regarding name suppression, have already distorted, and weakened the judicial system of New Zealand. The case of the criminal favored with name suppression and set free on probation to move about m society absolutely unsuspected, is far too frequent. Yet the criminal who finds himself connected with a youthful accomplioe m any class of offence, has his case heard simultaneously with the child m the juvenile court which automatically leads to the suppression of his name. Two instances of this occurred recently m Christchurch. The first was for a sexual offence, while the second ooncerned theft and a further charge of being unlawfully on premises. The adult concerned m the theft charge was a notorious character with a, "list." ' ; The protection of society demands an alteration m this misused and misguided policy, and it would take Jittle machinery to amend the system so that the adult criminal could be dealt with In the proper manner, while still assuring that necessary measure of protection for the youthful offender.