POLICE METHODS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 155, 1 July 1913, Page 6

POLICE METHODS.

AND A BOY'S CONFESSION. COMPLAINT BY COUNSEL. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) CHRLSTCHUPvCH, this day. A boy twelve years of age was charged at the Juvenile Court with having broken and entered a house and stolen money. Evidence was given by Detectives O'Connor and Torrens regarding a confession of guilt made by the accused.

Mr Donnelly (counsel for the accused) submitted that the boy hud nothing to do with tile offence, but was forced to make a confession by the police by n threat of sending him to Uumbam, and by stating that they had his fingerprints to confess that "he was guilty. He submitted that when the accused had twice denied the offence it should have been left at that. The Magistrate dismissed the case. "Have superior officers any cognisance of the application of the third degree in Christchurch?" Superintendent Kiely was asked by a reporter to-day. "It would not be countenanced by them for a moment.'' he said, "or by tiny responsible iiead of the Department. I cannot say what the exact circumstances were in the ease of the boy who has been referred to. From my investigation of the ease I ;i,n quite s-atistied that no undue pressure was brought to bear on him. and no suggestion is made that the boy was threatened. As a matter of fact, the Magistrate said th-.it if the boy had bee n over twelve years of age he would have convicted him.

"Old bands in the force would never attempt such vi thing." he continued, "and I have no ground to suspect the two ollicers who were concerned in this case. Some lawyers -are only too ready to fasten on this line of defence, if the police were half as eager to get prisoners convicted as the lawyers are to get them off." the Superintendent added, laughingly, "there might be some ground for complaint."