WOMAN SENTENCED TO PRISON

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23947, 14 May 1943, Page 6

WOMAN SENTENCED TO PRISON

OFFENCE UNDER SOCIAL HYGIENE ACT A charge under the Social Hygiene Act, the first of its kind to be dealt with in, South Canterbury, was brought against Dorothy Helen King in the Magistrates Court at Timaru yesterday. The offence ■ was alleged to have taken place at Teniuka on March 28, and the charge was that defendant knowingly infected another person with venereal disease. She pleaded guilty. Senior-Sergeant S. King said that as* result of a complaint made to the Christchurch office of the Health Department, defendant was requested under the pro-, visions of the Social Hygiene Act to report at the Timaru Public Hospital for examination. She had complied, and he understood that defendant had been warned of the possibilities of infecting other persons, said Senior-Sergeant King, but a soldier who was visiting her had been infected, . In reply to the Magistrate, defendant • said that she had not been warned at the hospital about the danger of infecting other persons. She admitted that site was 32 years of age, and was married, There had been a good deal said about venereal disease throughout New ZmWV land, and publicity had been given to / need for treatment, said the Magistrate, • 7 "It seems to me that I should make an example of this case as a deterrent to others who are infected,” he said. Senior-Sergeant King asked for suppression of accused’s name. Defendant; My husband has been overseas in the Army for three years. The Magistrate: All the more shame on you. You will be sentenced to * cur months' imprisonment with hard labour. The maximum penalty in cases such as this is a fine of £IOO or 12 months Imprisonment, or both the fine and the term in p"isnn.