DIRECTION TO JURY
Mental Age Of Girl (N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND, Oct. 19. A jury in the Supreme Court at Auckland today found Waitohi Hetaraka, aged 29, a workman, not guilty of raping an 18-year-old men-tally-defective girl. He was discharged by Mr Justice Woodhouse. Hetaraka was charged that he raped the girl at Mt. Roskill on July 18. The girl was 18 at the time of the alleged offence, and Mr A. B. Lawson, for the Crown, said she had a mental age of about nine. In his summing-up his Honour said: “It is always a great worry and anxiety when the more defenceless members of the community appear to have got themselves into any sort of trouble. “In the final analysis, isn’t this thing in a fairly narrow compass? If this girl acquiesced, or if you think she may have acquiesced, or if you think the accused considered she was acquiescing, or if you think he may have considered she was acquiescing, you cannot convict him.” The jury retired at 3.50 pan. and returned at 5.5 pan.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19641020.2.29
Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30576, 20 October 1964, Page 3
Word Count
178DIRECTION TO JURY Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30576, 20 October 1964, Page 3
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