"SOMETHING FRIGHTFUL"

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 17 April 1914, Page 5

"SOMETHING FRIGHTFUL"

DISCLOSURES IN CHRISTCHURCH COURT.

(United ' Association

CHRISTCHURCH, April 16. Five small children, two girls -and three boys, were paraded before Mr H. W. Bishop S.M., at a sitting of the Juvenile Court this afternoon, on a

charge of not being under proper control. The girls were aged and 12 years, and the boys 11. 10, and 8.

• The story told by Chief Detective j Bishop, and supplemented by statements from the children, alleged . a terrible ; state of affairs. The Chief Detective • stated that the children were living with their stepparents. Both had been married three times, and the family before the Court were by the second wife of the : stepfather. The stepfather had been committed for trial on a charge of assaulting the eldest girl, who was 13 years of age. The Magistrate: "How long has this i been going on?" Chief Detective : "For about three years." •'ln reply to the Magistrate, tile Chief Detective stated that tlie matter had Hilly recently been reported to the police, otherwise it would have been put a 1 ston to long ago. On the last occasion | when the affair was said to have taken .place, the second girl asked the stepi mother that the police should be in- ' formed, and later that was done. The Magistrate : "It's an awful business." To the girl : "Why didn't £ou report it before?" i The girl renlied that she was not old enough then to know what to do. The second girl, a child of eleven, then volunteered the information that she had ■ also been assaulted. The Magistrate : "This man must be an animal." Tlie girl: "He's worse than that." j The Magistrate : "It's an awful his- ' tory. Upon my word it's something : friirhtful that such things can happen, i It's a g'reat- pity that the thing has been ! g°' n S on * or the last two years without someone getting information about- it." I The Magistrate committed the children ' to the Christchurch Receiving Home.