THE CHILD PROTECTION MOVEMENT IN VICTORIA.

White Ribbon, Volume 1, Issue 5, 1 November 1895, Page 2

THE CHILD PROTECTION MOVEMENT IN VICTORIA.

The W. C. T. U. in Victoria have recently added another department of work to those heretofore engaged in. “ The minds of women have been perplexed and tortured with the rapidly increasing cages ol child-prostitution, and—which is even a more alarming feature —with the indisposition of judges and juries to commit and punish men accused of these crimes. “ The sentences awarded to the violaters of women and children wore compared with those passed upon men who had committed petty thefts, together with the comments of judges on each occasion and a‘book of remembrance’ was written in the hearts of some of those women.” So originated the W.C.T.U. Child Protection movement. No definite plan of action wa«, however, agreed upon until a genuine case occurred in the district of one energetic member, who speedily made a “stir.” “The victim was a lit t! j child of seven, too young for even the counsel or the judges to aceuse of ‘enticing the man.’ The evidence was in the opinion of the prosecuting officer, ami indeed of nearly ever-me who road or heard it, perfectly conclusive. According to two doctors and the Government Analyst, the child hid been brutally treated, and was afflicted with a frightful disease, but, because the little creature had made one wring statement, the case was dismissed ; and. but for inteivention, the mar. accused of the offence would have been allowed to regain possession of her. Such were the interest and sympathy aroused that the case has become historical. Ag the outcome o # the indignation meeting held locally, the larger one in connection with the central mission took place, and women all over Victoria were aroused.’*

While help and sympathy are offered by the Unions to girls of any age who may be in need, the special wor k of the department is limited to girls under sullen years. “ A giil over sixteen is popularly tupposed to be more than k match to'* a man old enough to be bet grandfather, and is treated by judges, juries, and counsel." The writer of the article from which we quote then goes on to map out the usual mode of procedure when a case cf child assault is reported. “ The local superintendent, accompanied by the secretary, is supposed to visit the parents, and to make searching enquiries into the case. It is said that women make excellent detectives : certainly they understand their own sex, and one or two of these visits suffice to give them an insight into the genuineness of a charge more than many a two-hours’ cross-examination by a learned counsel. We look at it in this way: Here is a child, proved by her unmistakeable physical condition, and by doctors* evidence, to have been violated. Our object is to have the guilty man discovered and brought to justice, not only for the sake of the one special little victim, but to prevent the sacrifice of other children. Under the crossexamination, and in terror of previous threats made by tho uiminal, the gir. may waver in her statements, or she may even equivocate—but does the main body of her statements bar out the proifs of the outrage ? That is the question. It is our sad experience to find that the attention of the whole court—of judge, juries, and onlookers —seem to be concentrated on proving the girl or her witnesses to h a unreliable in some particular, that the man u.a y have the 1 nefit of the doubt, and escape. The object, or what should be the object of the trial—the discovery of the child s assailant—appears to be entirely lost sight of.” Vc in. New Zealand have time and again felt the need of some such organisation. A child may be mined for life, buo because of some trilling flaw or omission in the legal procedure the destroyer is, after bat a light sentence, again let loose upon society, at liberty to seek fresh victims. The Victorian friend says that when women in that colony have the vote, “judges, counsel, and juries will not be all of one sex.*’ We in New Zealand have the vote; is it not time we had a direct voice in matters so vitally important to women and children r r