NEGLECT OF CHILD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21161, 19 April 1932, Page 8

NEGLECT OF CHILD.

MAORI SENT TO GAOL, ,74 BOY WITH BROKEN HIP. medical attention delayed. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPOXDIVT.'] WHANGAREI, Monday. ; A Maori, William Paul,, of I'ipiwai, was charged in the Magistrate's Court to-day with wilfully neglecting Manuel Paul, .aged 12 years, in a manner likely to cause him unnecessary suffering by failing to procure prompt medical attention when the child had broken hifi thigh. The information was laid under the Infants Act, 1908. Detective-Sergeant P.obertson stated that the accident to the lad's thigh occurred on February 12, and four or fivQ days later the native health officer who was in the locality saw the child. Ho obtained from the accused a prom se 4hat the boy would be taken to the Whangarei Hospital forthwith. The lad did rot reach the Whangarei Hospital' until som& days la tcr. Dr. W. Hall, medical superintendent of the Whangarei Hospital, stated in evidance that the child was admitted to the hospital suffering from a broken left thigh. "Unfortunately treatment- had been made of the skin on the outside and this had hampered subsequent treatment iri the hospital," said, witness. The'leg was now inches short. An operation could bo performed which would rectify the leg, but he was unable to obtain the parents' consent.

Accused, in answer to a question from the magistrate, Mr. G. X. Morris, stated he had not sent the boy to the hospital earlier because he had no money.

The Magistrate: You could not treat an animal like this, let alone a child. This is a serious matter. Afc various periods lam hearing cases of this sort.' I want the Maoris to understand this cannot go on. '

Accused was convicted and sentenced to one month's imprisonment in the Russeli gaol-