ASSAULTS UPON CHILDREN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 232, 19 February 1913, Page 8

ASSAULTS UPON CHILDREN.

UP.AND JCP.Y SUGGESTS FLOGGING. Auckland: February 17.

The charges set down for hearing at I the criminal sessions of the Supreme Court are marked by an increase of ofj fences of a sexual nature. ■-, His Honor Mr. Justice Edwards, in his charge to the grand jury, referred to the matter. He said that he was sorry to see so many sexual crimes. No fewer than seven of these were oll'enees against girls under the age of consent, and there was also another oll'ence. "I want to point out to you," His Honor continued, "thai in most of the sexual cases the physical harm done to the victims is perhaps nil, but the moral harm is enormous. You know as well as I do that there is immense danger in familiarising the mind of youth with vice.'' At the end of the day, when the grand jury had dealt with the list, the foreman announced that it bad passed the following resolution: "This grand jury views with alarm the increasing number of indecent assaults upon children of tender years, and strongly uryes your Honor to place this presentment before the Minister for Justice with a view to augmenting the law by introducing (logging, which we consider will act as a deterrent." His Honor pointed out that the law already provided for flogging in certain cases, and it all depended upon the nature of this session's charges if florin" would be given as a punishment to pel" sons to be charged. He promised that the resolution would receive proper attention.