MURDER ON INCREASE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 671, 25 October 1933, Page 5

MURDER ON INCREASE

(Press Assn.-

' ' } \ y • IS LENIENCY IN PUNISHMENT A CONTRIBUTING CAUSE o JUSTICE HERDMAN'S VIEWS

— By Telegraph — Copyright). '

Auckland, Tuesday. "At one time in New Zealand charges of murder were rare, but in recent years they have become not uncommon," said Mr. Justice Herdman, addressing tbe grand jury today. "It is difficult to account for' the cbange. "Why should men have less hesitation in destroying human life than they used to have?" he continued. I do not thinlc the war or the present difficult times or increasing population is the cause. One does know that when a murder was committed years ago and there was no definite proof of imbecility it was expected that the convicted person would be executed, but in these days when a person is convicted the expectation is in the eontrary direction. Instead of expecting tbat the man will be executed for the murdtv it is generally considered probable that capital punishment will not follow the sheeting home of the prisoner's misdeed. "This may be an explanation for the increase in crimes of murder. A general belief that a murderer will not suffer the extreme penalty may be spreading, and so the punishment preseribed by tbe Crimes Act may operate less as a deterrent than jt used to do."