BOY BEATEN

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 59, Issue 4252, 8 March 1950, Page 8

BOY BEATEN

ASSAULT AT AHIMIA STEPFATHER GAOLED MAORI BEFORE THE COURT “When you get out, let your imprisonment be a lesson,” said Mr. F. McCarthy, S.M., at the March sitting of the Thames Magistrate Court, to a Maori half-caste, Tassy T. Te Anini, of Ahimia. Te Anini, who is a roadman employed by the Main Highways Board, pleaded guilty to a charge of brutal assault with the buckle end of a surcingle on his eight and a half year stepson, Pitihana Hikairo, inflicting cuts from the base of the neck down the back to the knees. The child had been removed to the Coromandel hospital, and the doctor’s report, received by the Court, stated that 24 hours after the thrashing the wounds were still weeping blood.

Te Anini was sentenced to three months' imprisonment, with haird labour.

Sergeant N. W. Baylie said that Constable R. Patterson, of Coromandel, brought the accused to Thames. The Coromandel police had received a telephone call saying that Pitihana Hikairo had been badly beaten by his stepfather. Constable Patterson and a children welfare officer, and later Dr A. H. Brockie, of Coromandel, went out to Ahimia, and after the doctor’s examination the boy was taken into the Coromandel hospital. Constable Patterson interviewed the boy, who said that on the previous Thursday he had attended school. He need an obscene word to a little girl at school, and the headmistress gave him one cut, promising more if he re* peated the offence. On the way home from school Pitihana Hikairo repeated the word and the girl said she would tell Miss Winge next day. The boy became afraid of the extra eats promised, and stayed away from school. The father, on learning that the boy had “wagged” school, took a portion of a surcingle with a buckle on the end and unmercifully be4t his stepson.

Mr A. E. L. Dodd, who acted for the accused, said that the child had been in the habit <£ playing truant and not attending school, but the reason for the thnwhing Wag the child’s denial of the offence. When he persisted in his untruthfuhMM his stepfather

thrashed him with a strap, not using toe buckle end. When too child still continued to deny toe truth, too stepfather plainly loot his bead and used far more violence than be should have done under the circumstances, using the buckle end. The prisoner was now ontremely sorry. Ho had told his wife ho was very sorry and that at far as ho was concerned it would never occur again. “I am euro that Te Anlni thinks tost toe end justified the means, and that he had done the right thing,” said Constable Patterson, when explaining that the prisoner was not of very high intellect "He learned that the boy was lying and refusing to go to school, and lost his head.”

“By the law, people who beat little boys a« you have beaten this little boy are liable to more than ordinary punishment,” toe magistrate told the priaoner. “I am. going to take into account that Constable Patterson said you have boon a good stepfather to ttte boy, and taken him into your louse. I am going to treat it as a case where you loot your temper. Otherwise I would send you to gaol for a long, long tone.”