INDECENCY CHARGES

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 109, 10 May 1935, Page 9

INDECENCY CHARGES

TEACHER ACQUITTED

A complete denial of any act of indecency on his part was made by Herbert John Craig Parker, a teacher at the Petone Central School, in the Supreme Court before Mr. Justice Blair yesterday afternoon in answer to the eight charges of indecent assault brought against him in respect of girls under the age of 16 years. It was alleged by the Crown that the accused had interfered with the clothing of some of the girls in his class. The Crown-Prosecutor- (Mr.: p. S. K. Macassey) called twenty-one witnesses including the.girls concerned, in'support of the.case for the prosecution, Mr. H. F. O'Leary, who with Mr. D. M. Dicksori appeared for the accused, said in his outline of the defence that matters had moved very quickly during the week which culminated in the arrest of Parker by Detective McLennan. At the beginning of that week Parker had trouble with one of the girls in his class. This girl was disobedient; she refused to call Parker "Sir." She left school and came back with her father,, who interviewed the headmaster and Parker: Later on that day, apparently at "the request of j the girl's father, who it"seemed-was J incensed against Parker; a meeting of parents was held at the Recreation Ground. Some of the girls who had given evidence for" the Crown were there, and apparently allegations against Parker were discussed. Various parents wrote complaints to the school committee, and a meeting of the committee was held on the Thursday. On the Saturday Parker was interviewed by Detective McLennan, Parker's version of what took place was that McLennan, who was unknown to:, hinv called at his house and requested.that he should accompany hiiri to .'the police station. McLennan there told hirn\ the nature of the charges against him, and Parker would say that during that interview he admitted that he might have touched some of the girls in the course of his duties as a teacher, but he denied that there had been any. indecency. Evidence would.be given as to the credibility of some of the girl witnesses, said Mr. O'Leary. It .was submitted that some of the children, hdd been talking and questioned.about the matters and—it was typical' of some children—they liked to believe Hhat these things had happened to them. One other significant feature of the case was that whereas' the alleged offences were said to have been committed in front of the whole class not one boy had been called to give evidence, i INNOCENCE ESTABLISHED. After the luncheon adjournment his Honour, in his summing up, said,that each of the charges was of the same character and depended' in the. main upon the. evidence of the girls who had allegedly been assaulted. Although the law permitted the jury to "accept the uncorroborated evidence of a child, his ■ Honour ■ stressed the element of danger in doing so. Without the jury leaving the box, the foreman said that it ;was' the unanimous opinion of the jury that the prisoner was innocent, and iound him not guilty

The prisoner was then discharged.