"BRUTAL TREATMENT"

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 12, 14 July 1923, Page 8

"BRUTAL TREATMENT"

BABY MERCILESSLY BEATEN

STEP-FATHER SENT TO GAOL.

WHAT HAPPENED AT PAEKAKARIKI.

How a two-year-old baby girl had been mercilessly beaten by her step-father was described at the Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon, when a young man named George Louie Bertram, and his wife, Doris Marguerite Bertram, appeared before Mr. E. x'age, S.M., on charges of ill-treating the illegitimate child of the female defendant, so as to cause it unnecessary suffering. In connection with tho charge against the wife, additional evidence was called by Acting-Sub-Inspector Lander, after "The Post" went to press.

jjetective Johnstone, who, with Detective Ambrose, had conducted the inqumes concerning the alleged offences, read a statement, made by tne female accused, in which she admitted that, exasperated by the child's "dirty habits," she had on three occasions soundlythrashed it, sometimes with a strap: and again with her hand. The child had been immersed in the cold water to cleanse it, and not by way of punishment. Her husband had never struck the infant, although, when in a state of drunkenness, he had "threatened to kill it." a subsequent statement, made by the defendant read : "I now wish to contradict my previous statement. .' . . My reason for making it was to shield my husband. ... 1 thought that I would be leniently dealt with by the Court, as i ua\u another young baby to look after, and thus save my husband. . ..." JJr. Henry said that to dip the child i'-to cold water was. both drastic and un-' necessary. It would probably frighten the infant and give it a shock, but the I extent of the ill, effects would depened upon the constitution of the child. The infant in question was strong and robust. . mo defence set up by Mr. D. Perry was a denial of the allegation by one witness that tho child had been "smacked," although it was admitted that the baby had been "shaken." The immersion in cold water, counsel submitted, would not cause the child unnecessary suffering, within the meaning of the Act. The defendant, Doris Marguerite Bertram, in referring to the "dirty habits" of. the child, said that on the day in question she was so "heart broken" and "fed up" at it making a mess of the whare' after acting in a similar manner on the previous evening, that she took it outside and washed it in a bucket of cold water. .-■■ll the warm water had been used for the washing, and on this occasion the infant had not been beaten.

'Die Sub-Inspector: "So, in a fit of temp-er, you stripped this child, took it outside on a chilly winter's day, and put in a bucket of cold water?"

The accused: "No, I was not in a fit of temper." The Sub-Inspector: "Oh, you did it cold-bloodedly, did you?" "The evidence shows that, on a, winter's day, this woman took the naked child outside and bathed it in cold water,'' remarked the Magistrate. "She acted in a harsh and callou6 manner, but the effects were not serious enough to warrant my" entering a conviction. The information will, therefore, be dismissed."

A plea of guilty was entered by the male accused, who, in the course of a statement made to Detectives Johnson and Ambrose, had explained that about two months ago, at tho request of the authorities, the baby had been taken from the home at Island Bay to live with he and his wife and child, in their one-roomed whare at Paekakariki. Her 'dirty habits'' were noticeable the first night she arrived.

On 29th June," the statement went on, I_ arrived home from work, to find my wife almost frantic at the child, who had messed up the wharo after her cleaning it so I gave the infant a good hiding with a small strap. The blows were confined to the body, and I don't know anything about the bruise on her v^i } hl s k th<>only occasion upon which I Save thrashed the child I was not under the influence of liquor at the time, and I can say that I have never injured the child while I was.under the influence of liquor " According to Dr. Henry,-who had examined the baby several days after the thrashing, its body was a mass of bruises besides which there were eidit distinct strap ma rk s on it. The skin ■was broken > four .l aces , and f^ one of th« nipples of its breast cut away In addition extending,from the ear, right round the neck, was an ugly ma7k consistent with what might have been r made, ™th the strap produced, the roughened .end of which would have pretty well the same effect as a buckle The matter came under the notice of the and lying on the floor, covered only by an old trench coat. She took it to her homo summoned a nurse, and had it tl a w wdi «-««» circumstances allowed, but on the following evening the of Women and Children was informed, ?w fi? V3S On the a<h'io6 of this body that the police were advised. Nothing was known about the stepfather, except BeYtilm hJ HT-.?^y, accused, with the Imperial Forces, when he had Eubiected I *V yeMs of a§e ha 6 b«n ..^cWd was committed to a receiv-