INCIDENTS AFTER DANCE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 30 June 1939, Page 6

INCIDENTS AFTER DANCE

MOLESTATION OF WOMEN J MUST BE PUT DOWN SAYS , MAGISTRATE An incident after a dance at Bleu- j heim led to the appearance in the Mag- i istrate’s Court this morning of Robert! Hippolite, who was charged with, on | or about 10th June at Blenheim, ns-i saulting a female person. Mr T. E. Maunsell S.M. was on the i bench, and Detective Sergeant F. Hay- ' hurst prosecuted. The detective explained that defend- ' ant attended a dance at Blenheim and danced with the complainant, who was I a quarter caste Maori. There was noj

i suggestion that she was a person of j loose morals. She declined defendant's ; offer to show her home. During the j last dance she left and on her way up | the street heard defendant running after her. She told him she did not wish to have anything to do with him but he ti ied to take her arm. They walked 20 yards further and he caught her round the waist but she struggled. He I caught her round the waist again and ; carried her 75 yards. Complainant | screamed out and when they were at ' the rear of the Town Hall he put hisi hand over her mouth. She struggled and got away and fled to the police station where she laid a complaint. When interviewed in Nelson defendant admitted the incident but denied that he went as far as complainant said. 1 All he said he wanted was to ask her! something. It was not the first occasion, said the detective, that he had had to speak to the defendant about this sort of thing though he had not been before the court before. Hippolite was 26 years of age and was wellknown about town. This type of offence was one that must be put down. Defendant said he had nothing to The Magistrate pointed out that de-' fendant was liable to six months’ im-; prisonment. He would give him the op- | tion of a fine, but it would be a heavy ; one. This sort of molestation of women could not be tolerated.^ , A fine of £lO was* imposed.