NOT GUILTY.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18918, 5 February 1927, Page 15

NOT GUILTY.

MORE ABOUT IDENTIFICATION

PARADES.

[TBI rISSS Ssttitl Unit*.]

AUCKLAND, February 4. Tho valtto of police identification parades, and tlie reliability of evidence

given by children, were discussed i* tho Supreme Court, when' Edgar Stanley, married, ship's greaser, of Auek- - land, was charged with' oomifclttirig: <,A three acta of indecency at Fifteen witnesses had been called :' Mr Pnterson for the Crown, and tie ,'< \ accused and two witnesses wire ceiled . < hy Mr Sullivan for the defence on Thursday, and two more witfaeflwo ) , gave evidence to-day. Most of ih« Crown witnesses were schoolgirls ana women. . ~ >%;/, r, i Although it was the custom ftM" the „ \ police to hold identification psiades in > . certain coses, Mr Sallivan B*id there was no law, no rule, and nfoireltela* -•; tion for parading a matt for. identifies-} v\ lion. It would be ari interestingrpelrit ,; : , if a constable, laid hands on a „inan > who refused to go on cis* etf',ihe»», fj parades in .the. absence of a roator, W , whether it would not > emonntj to/»ltf« frf* snult. Counsel suggested W*Xs&&'i& of identification wen.bJ; the-cWdrtn, *£►, was not to be fully retted upon, Owing ■'■,-' to their inexperiehee and fee. , ;/ *,** Mr Patersoh, for fine <sow% Witt t „j* there was no reason why; the of the children .could not l» W$ *£ A lied upon- W they were accept the evidence of children ttfcjr would have one or two things happen: w ' cither there wonld be an fncreaasjin -s*» theso offences, against enfldmHi -6r par- .I * enU would take the law into their town A" hands. ."....' ' A Mr Justice Herdinan referred *» tJj*. evidence of tho children. He' aiid >, discrepancies would be found In allV< evidence, such as the apeed of Motor- -i{ Cars, the force of * blow, M.t» CM-,'* scription of a person's • clothing *wl f-t face. If they were.not V evidence of identificatkin Hb*%:W ',., witnesses did not exactly agree*;thwft <; t would have the unruly section ©J J**, community getting the Upper Mad* *" arifl they would hare ,a state oranriit . y in this country such a* ousted ifl Mw» ' bourne and Chicago some time-ago,,,U . such an event happened Mr New W* land, the women and children would not be safe, and property would l» J* danger. It was the duty of the police , to hold .in identification P"*o«- ~** this case what better identification could be obtained he did not know. Accused was found not guilty, ana was discharged.