MAORI CRIME INCIDENCE

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29145, 4 March 1960, Page 12

MAORI CRIME INCIDENCE

Concern Among J.P.’s

Concern at the incidence of crime among the Maoris was expressed by Mr W. H. Robinson (Northland) at the annual conference of the Federation of New Zealand Justices’ Associations yesterday. “Far too many young Maoris are in prison,” said Mr Robinson, “and the incidence of crime among Maoris is increasing.” At present young Maori offenders coming before the Courts appeared tongue-tied and gave very little help in their own defence. In the majority of cases they did not appreciate the value of legal aid or bail. Mr Robinson suggested that Maori offenders could be helped if honorary advisory probation officers could be recruited from the Maori people or from ministers of religion working among Maoris.

The duties of these probation officers would be to get in touch with a Maori offender as soon as he was arrested, advise him of the value of legal aid and present a report to the Court on the character and background of the offender. This could reduce the regrettably large Maori prison population, said Mr Robinson.

“This is also a serious problem in the Waikato area,” said Mr E. A. Butt. “It is pitiful to see some of the inarticulate Maoris in the Courts. They do not get fair justice because the presiding Magistrate rarely knows , the background of the accused.” In the King Country area the tribal elders had managed to keep Maori crime down, said Mr S. T. Carter (Auckland), but in Northland the position was serious.

As Mr Robinson had not given the conference sufficient time to study the proposal the matter was referred to the associations executive for consideration. “Members of the executive should keep their minds on equal privileges for Europeans,” said Mr G. McCormick (Hawke’s Bay). “There are too many privileges for Maoris now. They will be sending a full team of Maoris to South Africa soon.”