A SHOCKING CRIME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17213, 15 July 1919, Page 8

A SHOCKING CRIME.

LITTLE GIRL ASSAULTED. .";■ .;■/:. ;., ~■■■<•'' -i ; !>v £■~...■, , ,/:; . - ' POLICE MAKE AN ARREST INDIGNATION OF RESIDENTS EBS HXEGJOAPH.-—OWN pOBBESPONDEOT. WELLINGTON, Monday, A shocking outrage was committed a Petone early on Saturday evening, whs; a little childj nine years of age, wa brutally assaulted and violated. Statements obtained by the police ar to the effect that the 'little girl and he eight-year-old brother were, accosted b; a young man in the main thoroughfare and after a conversation the little girl for whom some lollies were bought, wa separated from her brother, who was sen by the man to buy fruit. The girl wa taken to the Recreation Ground, where i is alleged the crime was committed.. Th police were communicated with when th little girl did not roach'home v.ith he brother, and a search party was organised But its services were not required, as th child managed to find her way home an< told her terrible story. Senior-Sergeant Bird and Constats Canning, acting on what little informatioi they could gather, set to work to find ih< child's assailant. Shortly after roidnigb they arrested a. young than named Ito; Albert Delaney, and charged him with th offence. So quickly had word of the opt rage spread, and so hot was the indigna tion of residents, that a crowd gathere, at the local police station, and some o them threatened to take matters into thci own handle. The situation was tactfull; handled by the police, and the crowd dis pereed. This morning Delaney was charged wit] having committed a criminal offence, am was remanded to July 22.