BOY AND PARENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19320, 6 May 1926, Page 12

BOY AND PARENTS.

THE PROBATION HOME CASE. REASONS FOR DETENTION. DEPARTMENTAL VIEWPOINT. Thcs case heard in tho Children s Court nn April 26, when a married man was charged with harbouring his son who had escaped from the Auckland Probation Home, was mentioned at the sitting of the court yesterday. The case had been adjourned, t;ho boy in tho meantime being returned to fibe home. Mr. 111. C. Cutten, S.M., presided. Mr. ,T. F. W. Dickson, who appeared for the defendant, said lie was not prepared to go on with tho case. Ho was still in communication with tho Prime Minister on tho matter of tho boy's detention. He underdstood, however, that the boy had been removed to the Boys' Training Farm at Weraroa. He had wanted the boy present to give evidence in support of certain legal aspects of the case. Ho had advised his clients that there would bo no difficulty about their seeing the boy, but on going to tho home they could not see him as he was locked in a room. Now, it appeared, he had beon sent to Weraroa. Mr. .T. S. Cupifc, child welfare officer to the Education Department, said there was an explanation for that. Mr. Dickson said he desired an adjournment and would later take the opportunity of addressing the court. Tho Department's Position. At this stage Senior-Sergeant Edwards asked leave to make a statemont. He said the evidence already given covered his case, but when the case was last before the court he was not prepared l'or tho attack that was made upon the welfare branch of the Education Department. He submitted that the attack was not relevant to the caso which he had to present, but he now desired to make some explanation as to tho department's position. He would then leave the case where it stood.

The boy referred to in the case, and his younger brother, the senior-sergeant said, were committed to the probation home, in August, 1917, when they were aged four and two years respectively. Thero were very good grounds for having them committed. Defendant was away at the war and when ho came back application was made for the return of the children to tho parents. The circumstances of the homo wero favourably reported upon and in September, 1920 tho application was granted, tho parents receiving the children on probation. However, tho boys had been kept under supervision and reports in regard to them had not been too favourable. Early this year it was reported to the department that tho boys wero in tho habit of stealing from hawkers' carts and were not under proper control at home. Several Escapes Prom Home. Inquiries by the departmental officers disclosed that, the mother was not in good health and that both boys were getting into mischief, the mother admitting that she found the elder boy difficult to control. Further inquiries showed that the boy appeared to be tho ringleader of a troublesome gang at Freeman's Bay. It seemed, therefore, that it would only be a question of time and the boy would be in serious trouble and that in the meantime he was exercising a pernicious influence.on the younger boy. When this boy was away from the influence of his brother his mother was able to control him. It had been decided in these circumstances and in the interests of both boys to separate them by cancelling tho license in respect to tho elder boy and returning him to the home. He gave a great deal of trouble at the home-abscond-ing several times. After being brought back following his third escape the matron of the home, to keep him safe for the day, ordered him to bed as there was no satisfactory means of forcibly retaining boys at tho home. He refused to go and struck the matron and also the assistant matron, who went to her assistance, but ho was eventually got to bed. Six Strokes with a Strap.

As a punishment for this conduct the juvenile probation officer, in the presence of the assistant officer, gave the hoy six strokes with a strap on the buttocks over his pyjamas. It was simply absurd to refer to tins punishment as a thrashing and in the terms referred to at the Inst hearing of the case. The boy came to no harm from it. On the other hand, it did him some good, ile was about with the oilier boys next morning and the suggestion that it was severe or that it affected him so that ho had to remain in bed was absolutelv untrue.

Four days after this the boy ran away again and look another boy with him. It was then decided that owing to the difficulty of controlling him and of retaining him in the homo he would be sent, to Weraroa. The matter had reached a stage when tho police should hand the case over to the Crown solicitor to deal with the legal points mentioned by Mr. Dickson. Adjourned for Three Weeks. Mr. Dickson applied for leave to reply to the statement made by the police. Mr. Cutten declined and said he would grant the adjournment asked for. Mr. Dickson pressed the point and on finding the magistrate adamant asked that his protest should be recorded. Mr. Cupit said his department was prepared to hand the boy back to tho parents in three months, provided his conduct was satisfactory in the meantime. Mr. Dickson: And where will he bo in the meantime ? Mr. Cupit: Where he is now. Mr. Dickson: Well, wo will see about that. Tho case was then adjourned until May 26.