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Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 79, 30 September 1924, Page 5

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STRANGE CASE OF MISS MARTIN STATEMENT BY SOLICITOR REPRESENTING GIRL'S MOTHER. (81. TELEORAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.) AUCKLAND, 29th September. Miss Margaret Martin, the Epsom Grammar School prefect, concerning whose whereabouts there has been much speculation lately, returned to her mother early this afternoon. None of the principals in the case desire to make any statement. . Mr. H. P. Richmond, solicitor for Mrs. Martin, writes to thef Herald" stating that the position was not quite correctly stated on Saturday in reference to the conditions on which Miss Martin was.advised to return home. Mr. Richmond Bays: —"Mrs. Martin was quite willing to allow her daughter complete freedom, of religious thought, including even attendance at the .Roman Catholic Church if she so desired. Only two conditions were insisted on. The first was that her daughter should for twelve months completely sever herself from the personal influence' and attachment which had arisen in connection .with her school life. This influence Mrs. Martin had grave reasons to believe was a powerful' one, and she considered that her . daughter could not possibly return to a normal state of mind while it persisted. The second was, that her daughter should not seek the instruction necessary before entering the- Roman Catholic Church until she had been at least a month with her mother. These conditions , were recommended to the daughter as proper by Bishop deary. The daughter could not then see her way to accept any conditions restricting her intimate friendship with the lady to whose influence her mother objects. My client's caifte of complaint is not against a change of faith if that had come to her daughter iat the proper time and on clear and I reasoned judgment. Her complaint is against what she believes to have been the influencing of a schoolgirl's mind, at first without her mother's knowledge and later in direct opposition to her expressed wishes. ' A further cause of complaint is against those who kept secret from the mgther her daughter's whereabouts, causing her the v most intense and wearing anxiety." I Mr. Richmond adds that his client wishes to remove any impression that Bishop Cleary and his counsel did not at the conference recommend Mrs. Martin's conditions as entirely fair and proper. The Grammar School Board will again inquire into' the case on Wednesday, so.veral parents of pupils having approached it in regard to the Epsom School's connection with the case.