OFFENCES AGAINST CHILDREN

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVIII, Issue 13001, 17 December 1902, Page 3

OFFENCES AGAINST CHILDREN

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Your correspondent, “Lex,” admits that Section 196 of the Criminal Code . is. useless, because of the time-limit -of one month within which- prosecutions for .offences forbidden by that section may be brought. If Section 196 is amended in the manner proposed, by extending the “ one ” month into “ six,” then the section, it must be admitted, is no longer useless. To argue that “ any prosecution which could have succeeded if brought within the timelimit of,Section 196 may now take place under Section 188, as an -indecent assault,” is perfectly true ; but 'it only emphasises the sadly deficient sense of proportion with which such offences are regarded, as an indecent assault may mean anything, even, to a kiss, whereas; Section 196 applies only to the' major offence. _ What should we think of classing together, say, murder and copimon assault, such as one person pulling another one’s nose ? It would hardly improve matters to say that the punishment for the minor offence was greater than foj the major offence! According to the proposed .amendment, the sentence of five years, with hard labour, would be mahda* tory, though it applies to girls from twelv/ ( to sixteen years of age, and though theu. punishment may be deemed little enoughfor the ruin of a’ lifetime, surely' it iv better than to prosecute under Section 18* and run the risk of seeing, the criminal lei off with twelv© months or two years, a*, wo have read of several cases lately, where if I mistake not; the girl’s age was undev twelve, and, ns a solicitor in Christchurchinformed me, it was within the option- oi the judge to have made the sentence one hour, had he felt so disposed. Any woman with an average sense of the sacredness of her’womanhood would not Hesitate to use extreme measures in defending herself against a certain, form of assault, and according to the law in some countries, -in self-defence she is justified in killing her assailant. Now, if women feel like'that aboul themselves, should they not be aroused ti use every effort- for. the better protect!?! of the weak and helpless - little ones in th* land which God has placed them in? Men cannot feel in the same way'about such of>, fences as women, do, and, I believe - they begin to realise it, and to understand that it will help us to arrive-at truth and. justice more nearly when we have Hie interests, of women and children safeguarded by women on juries. How would men like to be tried by juries composed of women - only?- No doubt ■ many of ns women shrink with , as great an agony from Police -Court .proceedings, in cases of indecent assault, as wo would from - witnessing an' execution, to carry out the extreme sentence of-the law, and those of us who know anything about' it are probably of one mind, that in such cases, to put a child in the witness-box, in the presence of the crowd that usually assembles there, is only to-add insult to. injury. It is a. monstrous iniquity, and ean only sta«fTp the child more' deeply" with : a sense of all that is undesirable and-abhor-rent. Whatever medical examination is necessary should, moreover, be performed by a woman medical practitioner.' Very many will be grateful t o you for your article An last Saturday’s paper, and with them,—l am, etc., - ' ■ , C.E.C.