CHILD CRUELTY CHARGES

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 25031, 13 November 1946, Page 5

CHILD CRUELTY CHARGES

WOMAN COMMITTED FOR TRIAL ANGRY CROWD OUTSIDE COURTROOM (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON. November 11. An angry crowd jeered and booed when excluded from the courtroom where Mary Tichner pleaded not guilty, reserved her defence, and was committed for trial on charges of illtreating, neglecting, and inflicting grievous bodily harm on her daughter, eight-year-old Jean Tichner. Mrs Tichner and her husband have had police protection since an inspector said at the opening of the case on. Nov®m^> e r 4 that this was the worst case child cruelty he had ever handled A crowd assembled outside the court this morning, but the defendants had Deen brought into court earlier. They entered by a back way and avoided the demonstration, which could be heard continuing as the case proceeded.

George Tichner. husband of Mary Tichner, pleaded not guilty to a charge wijfully neglecting Jean. He said that he had never seen his wife illtreat the child, and added that he was out all day working as a street trader d_ enie d that he himself had ever hit the child for. alleged dirty habits S, e -i th 3 * the marks on the s . °°d.V were a rash contracted while hop picking.’ She did not anpear to him to be half-starved. She was treated exactly the same as the other children in the family Mrs Tichner was committed for trial after which she and her husband were driven from the court in a closed police van amid a storm of boos.