CHRISTCHURCH CRIMINAL SESSIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12268, 12 May 1903, Page 5

CHRISTCHURCH CRIMINAL SESSIONS.

A LONG CALENDAR.

OFFENCES AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN. REMARKS BY THE JUDGE. [BY TBIEGBAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Christchorch, Monday. The criminal sessions opened this morning. The calendar is a particularly long one, and includes three charges of incest, eight of indecent assault, one of attempted rape, three of robbery* with violence, one of arson, and one of criminal libel ; altogether. 26 charges against 17 persons, and six against persons who had previously pleaded guilty.

In charging the grand jury the Judge said that there was a. large list of sexual offences. It did not, in his opinion, necessarily imply any special immorality in the district as compared with otheK. The jury must consder it with reference to the average amount of crime of that class, as to which the district would compare not unfavourably with the other main districts of the colony. Within recent years also the age of consent had been raised to 16 years. The common experience "was that girls just under that age were particularly susceptible to sexual acts, and frequently were the temptresses. A recent change in the law making incest a crime necessarily swelled the list of sexual crimes in the colony as against other countries. His Honor also referred to the hardship that decent women and young children, in addition to indecent outrage, were compelled to state the details in full before a gallery of jeering youths, who were therefor the purpose of enjoying them. The Judge remarked that it was unfortunate that there was no institution to deal with men of weak intellect with a tendency to commit offences on little children. When sentencing a man for .incest, the Judge said that he confessed the accused person was often the one least guilty in the matter. Children were frequently brought up herded together in places under circumstances making decency impossible, therefore the usual restraint was removed.

Frank Giles Hempleman, book-keeper at Kaiapoi brewery, was convicted on three charges of embezzlement, totalling about £200, extending from the year 1900. Mr. Russell, who defended accused, asked for probation. His Honor said it would be a serious misfortune if it were to be understood that a man in a position of trust could go on using bis employer's money trusting that he would be able to replace it, or that the only penalty would be probation. It would be a dangerous abuse of an Act designed to be employed in othei circumstances. Accused was sentenced to 12 months on each charge, sentences to be concurrent.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Christchtjrch, Monday. The grand jury, in a presentment to-day, expressed the opinion that severe personal chastisement should form part of any punishment inflicted in connection with sexual cases,