YOUTHFUL DEPRAVITY IN THE CITY.

Evening Post, Volume LVII, Issue 32, 8 February 1899, Page 6

YOUTHFUL DEPRAVITY IN THE CITY.

By Avarning parents and the girls themselves the police have to some extent succeeded in diminishing the amount of juvenile depravity in the city, but it seems still prevalent to a disquieting extent. Some facts substantiatng this statement were elicited during the hearing of a case in the Magistrate's Court this morning, in Avhich a 19-year-old youth was charged with haA'ing criminally assaulted a girl not quite 16 years old. It should be mentioned that this particular girl swears positively that she was not a consenting party to the improper behaviour, which is alleged to have taken place in a house in Dixon-street occupied by some half a dozen young men as a "baching" establishment, and commonly referred to as the "Bach." This "bach" is said to be but one of numbers of such establishments Avhere immorality is painfully rife. The police, of course, make every effort to keep doAvn such places, but their hands are tied to a great extent. During this morning's revelations the girl alleged to have been assaulted stated that in consequence of unpleasantness in her horne — she has a mother and a stepfather, the latter a labourer— she "cleared out," but could not go to a boardinghouse because her mother had gone round to all places of the kind telling the proprietors not to take her in. So on the afternoon of Saturday, the 28th January, she joined a girl companion, who is nearly 17 year? old, and that night the tAvo slept out in the open air in the scrub at Kilbimie Next morning they Avent to the " bach " (en eh charges the other with taking tho inibat ; ve) and had breakfast Avith the young men. Improprieties took place in ihp afternoon (the companion denies this co Tar as she herself is concerned), and in <he pvening the girls went to the SalvatiiM Army, and "slept out" again, this time under the trees at the Reservoir. Wary in the morning they returned to the " hach " to " get breakfast and put our hai/: straight." The regular occupants? of •.lie house Avere at work during the day, so \he girls AA^ent out and returned at 10 o'clock at night. About half an hour later a constable came, accompanied by i,be mother of the girl assaulted, and took the tAvo girls to their homes. , The second girl in her evidence swore '■-hat her friend did not object to the behaviour of the accused, but this Avas directly contradictory to the signed statement she had made to tho constable. The mother of the assaulted girl in her evidence said that her daughter had run away from her home before and stayed aAvay for days at a time. Further evidence tended to slioav that many other girls — all in their teens — visited the same place, and it also came out that 'the as saulted girl gave as her reason for ''dearing out "that she had been beaten by ocr mother, who would not let her stay out at service. In appearance the assaulted girl Avas very different from her companion, Avhose general questionable behaviour seemed to be very Avell known to the police. The Bench declined to admit as evidence the> statement mnde by the girl to her molfcer Avhen the police came and took her home and Avhilfi this was being argued one of ihe presiding Justices remarked :-- '* It seems a peculiar thing that the sir! should have gone back after the assault." The Clerk of the Court pointed out that it Avas not a question of Avhether or not it Avas Avith the girl's consent the assault was made, because she Avas under age Af the Inspector remarked: — "We have to protect these girls from themselves." HoAvever, as reported elseAvhere, the accused Avas committed for trial.