SILENT GIRL THIEF

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 564, 17 January 1929, Page 7

SILENT GIRL THIEF

STUBBORN RETICENCE FATHER SUGGESTS GAOL l (From Our Own Correspondent) H'KEKOHE, Wednesday. So stubborn was the nature of a 13-year-old Maori girl who appeared in the Pukekohe Children’s Court to-day that she would not answer questions. When questioned by Mr. F. H. Levien, S.M., her father and her stopm other, the girl elected to remain silent. Threats were used without effect. She appeared to answer a charge of having stolen a woman’s bicycle valued at £5 The presence of an interpreter was queried by the Bench. “She can talk Fakeha all right/* he added. *'She has been to school, hasn’t she?” he inquired of the father. “No," replied the parent. “I all over the place.” “Well, I would like to tine you £lO for not sending your girl to school,” said Mr. Levien. The accused still refused to say whether she stole the cycle. “Is she a bad girl?” the magistrate asked. The police sergeant said the girl could speak English well. She had adopted a silent attitude with the police also. The female probation officer said the girl appeared to do whatever she desired. She roamed the country. “I will have to punish her if she does not answer,” said the magistrate. “I will lock her up until she answers.” The father failing in his attempt to have a korero with her, added. “Put her in gaol I tink; she my girl.” This course, however, was not resorted to. Further attempts to get her to admit her guilt proved futile. It was stated by the accused’s father that another girl had given his daughter the cycle, but the name of this person could not be supplied. The girl was placed under the care of the child welfare officer for a period of two years, and her father was ordered to pay 9s 6d for accessories removed from the machine.