PARENTAGE TANGLE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 303, 17 August 1932, Page 7

PARENTAGE TANGLE

MAORI MOTHER SWEARS FALSELY TO SAVE DAUGHTER. PECULIAR CASE. i That on Novemher last she had made a false statement in registering the birth of a child, hystating that her husband was the father of such i child, was the charge 1-evelled against I Rosie Zawenga in the Gisborne Police ! Court hefore Mr. P. H. Harper, S.M. • A plea of guilty was entered and a fine of £2 was imposed. i Senior-Sergeant Wade explained that the police took action on receipt ! of advice from the Registrar of Births | at Wellington that they should inquire ! into the position. Sergeant Culloty • interviewed defendant who admitted ! that she had registered the child as ; her own, in order to shield her daughf ter, for she considered that the father | of the child was her (defendant's) own I hushand. The daughter, however, I stated that her child's father was an- | other man and not her mother's hus- ■ hand. Defendant was divorced two i years ago and had since married | again, but was now separated from j her second hushand. The mother of j the child was defendant's daughter : hy her first marriage. j Defendant told the court that she ; made the false statement in order to ; protect the baby's good nome. ' "Apparently this type of offene'e is , not regarded seriously hy Natives as | hy Europ-eans," commented the magis- ! trate.' "Defendant has stated she wished to protect the hahy, but, no matter what were her rnotives, it is still a breach of the Act. Defendant will be fined £2."