A GROWING PROBLEM

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 15, 18 July 1923, Page 9

A GROWING PROBLEM

ITU}? '.prjatyeml df.-juyeiule crime is' becoming* increasingly-aJeute'ih the'various cjpjtalsj jaijd- sociologists ' are". exercising' tnefr - mindg ■ to \ find- 'some' solution. -On Riday--■'- Judge Erevan "■. in .the: -Sydney Quarter SesßioM-waa'call'edjupoii'to'p'ass s«riteuce:upbn a ypuih'inbt yet-18 years of' age,;; whb'i hid • befutid' h'imr a list of convictions H or /iheft s\which would' KaVe njade'tWrigs-badffof'a'hirden'ecl criminal. £[18' Honour;- in :rfiomi?ienting 'upon the d(fficulty*of dealing-with such youthful offenders who Were.setting, out on a car-eerVMctf-iiust 'resulV.in. their' 1 spending the-best' part"'pf 'their lives in gaol,' ex.pressed; rdeep.:reg>et'tKatrnoth'ing.in' the shape* of, the Borstal; System, which in -.England.had 'result«d; in' 80 per,cent.' of those; trea.tedlutfdeV it 'reforming 'their ways,'-;had■beeh-.iritroducedj'bere.- :- Heexpressed the. hope \that something of the "sort ■' would'«be'"established before "iong.;- ; j: r '■■■■■ ,v;r ;;•■■:- ,-;--'-'^-'--^; -.-/-■ ■-. '.-■■ J^ e.^[9^^-of L.iKe^EpTeid ot juvenue! crime •' Ss exciting' as much -: speculation" as nip^f effectiveVnicasures' of treatment'•of'., the convicted - wrongdoer,' as fit-is .felt ;tfiat.-it-iB: essential that rernediai mea«uj-cs • should .embrace': this cause;-if society'is- tb^be 'purged of the «ad' spectacle !of children' behind' Police C!ourt-docks'.; ; ■■■ "-'■ '; '■■■.-■■.■'■; ■■■ ■, ■ . .-■ ■•

jThe-picture'ghbwV.'ofl'cbuTse/ig exten-•sively-•blamed.-by'? ( investigators of the matter, • but others;-attribute much of this type ;of:crime' to .the • distress which unemployrnent.h'as.Krought to so many, homes during' the;'past 1 few years. •However, consideration "does not; apply''t6f;ariything like 'all cases is shown; by the.factsi- which more often than' riot prove'that a perverted sense of romance 'arid adventure are at ;the root of ■the. wrongdoing.' ■ '„; -\' • ■'.; j

•": jA; carious ..case came -before the Children's Goiirt; in. 'Perth-*last-week when a: perfectly self-posstssed girl, .12 years of age, admitted.haying stolen £41 from her;foster 1 mother.- "Detective-Sergeant Frazer,-in-evidence, said; that, the 'girl came home'- from' school -'at- about midday, and, finding the house-locked and nobody:in, she brokVa -window 1 pane to gain admittance.. -After . putting away hjer^books' she* went•:to a- locked .'drawer in her mother's bedroom, broke it.open, and-stole-the money. -She then'left the pjremiseß-and: booked- a: room ■at the Subiaco -Hotel; telling the'proprietor that she-had preceded- her- father ■'•'from 1 Collie, apd'fhat>he had.'told her;to'await':his''ar-rival-at-'.tne'- hotel. '■■. She gave;the, proprietor ithe/custody of: the stolen money;'except' a- couple .of pouiids, 'and each morhingfor.the.next two or three :days asked 'the proprietor !for a; pound or'- so, with which .'she' bought'newshoes^and clothes and^.'had-agood^ime.".:l Thus £8 was spent:: On or-about '■ the''fourth! day. her host refused to • let 1: her have ■ any more. .of the 'money '"until her:-father ' should ; arrive,: and • on' Wednesday. last she was located'by;a:family friend and escorted home. ;•■ - ■■."■;■•'■ . . ;.

[The Bench -withdrew to.question the 'withthefoster mothers: coricurrenoe, ,:it .was decided that she Rhoiild be? coipmitted-; to' an;. institution. for-"twelve irioiithe*."';:•, r ' ' " '