PARENTAL CRUELTY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 365, 29 October 1932, Page 2

PARENTAL CRUELTY

INCREASE IN ENGLAND CAUSING GRAYE CONCERN. HARROWING FACTS. Several disturbing facts coneerning crUelty to children are contained in the annual report of the British National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children for 1931-32. For the fifth year in succession th'e society reports an increase in th'e number of cases of violence against children, this year 3645 as compared with 3518 in 1931. This total is higher than if has been sinee the year before the war. Ih commenting upon these figures the report states. "It is likely that cases are more readily reported to the society nowadays, whilst, in addition, easier faeilities for getting about have made the inspectors to-day almost as well known in the outer distriets of their respective branches as they are in the towns where they reside. Notwithstanding this view, there is, however, grave cause for concern." oeveral appalling cases of cruelty are reported by the society — a baby nihe ' weeks old had thirteen injuri'es caused by its father's fist; a child of 2| years held upside down hy a man and whipped with a piece of oilcloth because it had come downstairs after being put to bed; and a girl of i4 who hau been so badly irijured fhat she had to he wheeled into court in a hathchair. "These cases," continues the report, "are not inserted to harass the read- • er, who could, without difficulty, be given even more disturbing fare. They ane mentioned mer'eiy with 6he object. Tlifere are people who Say there is no cruelty to children nowadays. It is not true." The total number of cases reported to the society, or discovered hy their inspectors during the year, whs 43,246 (the highest since 1915:1916), and the society were ahle to protest, . or otherwise help, 106,046 children. The number of cases of corluption oi morals rose from 260 to 277; abandonment from 56 to 80; anu those under the heading of Other Wrongs from 2316 to 2613. The' number of cases dtie to drink has fallen steadily from 40.27 per cent. ih 1914-15 fo 8.25 in 1931-32.