INDIAN MEDICAL MAN AND WOMAN PATIENT

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7061, 8 November 1929, Page 6

INDIAN MEDICAL MAN AND WOMAN PATIENT

Grave Charge Preferred

TRIAL OF DR, SHARE AT AUCKLAND SESSIONS

Per Press Association. . AUCKLAND, Last Night.

1 Sobbing bitterly at intervals during her- evidence, a young woman sat in the witness box of the Supreme Court this morning and told a story of an alleged indecent assault by a well-known Indian doctor, Balder Singh Share.

“Not guilty,” said Dr. Share in a firin'* voice when a charge of indecent assault on a fcmalo was read.

The case was hoard by Sir Alexander Herdman and accused was represented by Messrs Singer and McLivcr.

' The Crown Prosecutor, Mr. Meredith, said Share, under the guise of a bona fido examination, indecontly handle! the girl and misconducted himself towards her. “This girl,” he said, “is 28 years of age, a decent living girl morally and a girl innocent in these matters. There is a confidence placed in doctors by all of us. Wo trust ourselves, our wives and our children with medical men and girls can very easily be deceived by such men.” The. principal witness said she worked at a tailor’s shop, within a few doors of Share’s surgery. She ran a big needle into her thumb. The iujury was treated by Dr. Brookway and next day, she entered an adjoining room, in the • same. building. Dr. Share, after dressing her finger, remarked: “You are a very robust looking girl” and ho suggested an examination, to which she agreed. During the examination she became suspicious.' Share had shown her some photographs, some of \vhlfeh' were disgusting. She had been ins his room from 11.30 to 1.45. He had not charged any fee for’the examination. .

When she returned to her,work, she complained to the girl she •. worked with and that night she told her young man of Share ’s actions.

Subsequently, a complaint was made to the police. The jury then examined Share’s room.

An apprentice who worked with the principal witness said that when she returned from her visit to Dr. Share, she was looking flushed and frightened. She complained of Dr. Share’s conduct.

F. L. Armitage, bacteriologist at Auckland hospital, detailed the result of his bacteriological examination of a garment submitted to him. Dr., W. Gilmour, pathologist, gave corroborative evidence.

,'Detectiye-Sergeant Kelly said, that when interviewed, accused denied having shown the girl any indecent photo-

graphs in his possession. He showed witness some photographs of the ordinary: type and on being further pressed, he produced 34 more from an attache case. Aocused denied having shown these to his patient. Witness asked him how the. woman could have described them if ho h:id not shown them to her. Accused became heated and said someone was trying to put one across him.” So far as accused knew, the only person who -knew he had those photographs was his wife.

When arrested, accused said: ‘‘lt is untrue but I will admit some very bad .photographs were found. I have been:up against it for some time. 'lf I seil my home and leave the country, will it make any difference? This will kill my wife and son.”

This evidence was corroborated by Detective Scddon and Detective-Ser-geant Doyle. In adressing the jury, Mr. Singer described his client as a gentleman of culture and education and high attainments as a medical man. Because of his professional standing, the issue was one of the utmost gravity for him. An adverse verdict would mean utter, absolute blank ruin, deprivation of his livelihood and his becoming an outcast from society and his profession. It was the story of England's justice that the fact that a person was not of English race was never allowed to interfere with that justice, but not only was accused an English,subject but also he was a New' Zealander. Counsel said he would call evidence to show two persons looked into the room during the time the offence was