Protests In Victoria At Decision To Hang Ryan
(Special Crspdt. N.Z.PA.I
MELBOURNE, Dec. 20.
On the eve of Christinas, two widely differing but equally sobering events have thrown a black cloud over the traditional festivities in Melbourne this year. Victorians have been reminded of hundreds of children who face a frightened and cheerless Christmas at the hands of vicious and cruel parents. They are also aware of a man who will celebrate Christmas in the condemned cell at Pentridge gaol, preparing to die early in the New Year. Since three Melbourne doctors unfolded a Dickensian account of the abuse of children a week ago and the State Government decided the convicted murderer, Ronald Ryan, must hang, these two events have dominated the headlines.
As Christmas approaches, indignation and emotion are mounting in the readers’ letters columns of the newspapers, leaving no doubt that the whole State—and much of the rest of Australia—is deeply disturbed. One correspondent wrote of “a whole cesspool of parental
savagery, self-indulgence and sadism towards infants, mixed up with neglect and indifference indefensible even in the depths of depression.” If the newspapers and those members of the public who write to them are any guide, the decision to send Ryan to the gallows for the murder of a prison warder has touched more consciences than the Premier, Sir Henry Bolte, and his Government, appears to realise. Sir Henry Bolte has appointed a three-man committee to inquire into the doctors’ allegations about cruelty, but he has persistently refused to reconsider the decision to hang Ryan. The children who will not be happy at Christmas time I are anonymous, and nobody knows how many cases never become public. For this reason Ryan, who is due to hang on January 9 is attracting the greater part of the publicity at present. His 75-year old widowed mother, Mrs Cecilia Ryan, yesterday added her pleas to those of church, political and community leaders
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31248, 21 December 1966, Page 6
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321Protests In Victoria At Decision To Hang Ryan Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31248, 21 December 1966, Page 6
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