INTERVIEWS BY POLICE

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27586, 17 February 1955, Page 16

INTERVIEWS BY POLICE

VIEWS OF JUSTICES’ FEDERATION (New Zealand Press Association) WHANGAREI, February 16. When a girl in her teens is being interviewed by the police, her parents or some suitable woman should be given the opportunity of being present. This opinion was expressed at the annual conference of the Federation of New Zealand Justices’ Associations today, when remits to the Minister of Justice were being discussed. A remit from the Taranaki association had originally recommended that a policewoman be present at the interview. If one was not available, then a woman child welfare officer or woman justice should attend. Mrs A. T. Stenhouse (Bay of Plenty) said the child’s mother should be present. If she were, it was undesirable that a policewoman or other official should also be in the room. Mr D. P. Dinnan (Manawatu) said the child’s parents might not be good ones in certain cases, and the girl might not speak so freely if they were present during the interview. The remit was then changed to read: “That when a teenage girl is being interviewed by the police, her parents be given the opportunity of being present. If they did not attend, the opportunity should be given to a suitable woman.” This was carried.