Judge Condemns Moral Standards At Ratana Pa

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30094, 30 March 1963, Page 12

Judge Condemns Moral Standards At Ratana Pa

(New Zealand Preet Association) WANGANUI, March 29. If an inquiry into the housing position at Ratana pa some years ago had resulted in a great improvement, it could well be that an inquiry into the moral standards of the young people there would have a similarly successful result, Mr Justice Leicester said in the Supreme Court at Wanganui today. “It is clear that the moral tone and standards of Ratana pa and similar communities must be raised,” he said. Before him were four Ratana freezing workers for sentence on offences involving a girl aged 15 years and 11 months.

"It appears that trouble arising from a case involving carnal knowledge in 1954 led to an inquiry into the state of housing at Ratana pa,” his Honour said. "At that time, there seems to have been only 27 houses for a large population, and as a result of the activities of responsible Maori families and outside agencies, the houses now number 80. “I understand there are some 23 houses to be demolished and replaced, and that tar sealing has been done which is to credit of those who have interested themselves in the pa during the last nine years. “Unfortunately however, the same attention had not been given to the moral side of Ratana pa. and this seems, if anything, to have deteriorated since that time "It would seem from reports that have been prepared that there are very few girls of 14 or boys of 15 who have not had sexual experience. and who do not regard conduct such as in-

volved you in the present proceedings as other than usual. “It seems also that some of you appear to have been surprised that incidents of the kind that have brought you before the Court have required the machinery of the law to be put into practice. “I adopt the well-chosen words of the probation officer in one of his reports, where he says that you appear, all of you. to have been reared in a climate tempered by the easy morality of some of the inhabitants. And that applies not only to you, but to the girl who has herself become involved.”

Department and had not been referred to the police. Agitation and application for a police station at the pa had been rejected on several occasions on the ground that there was insufficient crime to warrant it. Yet it was a feature of life at the pa that the four were before him on these matters. There were three hotels in the vicinity, each of which seemed to have contributed in some way to the current teen-age drinking problem and had led. in part, to frequent parties and gang activities. Jackie Rudolph, aged 19, was fined £4O on a charge of having intercourse with a girl between 12 and 16: Taylor Te Teira Tupa, aged 18, was fined £2O for attempted sexual intercourse with* the girl; William Whitinga Harris. aged 21, £4O for indecent assault on the girl, and Boydie Moanaroa. aged 19, £2O for attempted sexual intercourse.

His Honour said he had been advised that five similar attacks by a number of youths on a girl had taken place during the last few years and this was only one that had actually reached the Court. The others had been dealt with by the tribal executive and the Maori Affairs