SODOM AND GOMORRAH.

NZ Truth, Issue 179, 21 November 1908, Page 4

SODOM AND GOMORRAH.

SEXUAL SIN IN CHRIST-

CHURCH.

Outrages on Helpless Children.

' Justice Denniston's Charge to the

Grand Jury.

The astonishing number of sexual cases dealt with lately m Christchurch courts .was commented upon briefly by* Judge Dennistoh m his charge to the Grand Jury at the criminal sitting^. Of eleveV persons charged wjth fifteen offences no |ess than six prisoners were accused of committing offences of varying degrees of enormity on children, most of whom were very young. Most, of the cases were of; a very serious character, but his Honor believed that none of them would, present any serious difficulty to the/ jury. The first case was one of a mar-' ried elderly man charged with taking advantage of a girl of 15 years. The law held- that it was no defence to maintain that the girl under 16 had given her consent, and when a man took advantage^ of girls of comparative immaturity the only defence possible was that accused persons had reasonable belief .that the girl was under 16. His ' Honor reviewed the cases m which an-*lderlv man named Scrimshaw was charged with assaulting: a small girl, also that Of William Dawson, a disgusting case m which the child of two years - became infected .

WITH A LOATHSOME DISEASE; that of a youth named Ditford, ag*in*t whom there appeared to be, clear evidence of indecent assault on a child of eight years ; that of Baxter, charged with indecently assaulting a child of five, and wh&se explanation "» the police was discounted by his Honor ; lastly the case of Alexander Johnston, who was said to have taken a child into a stable,, but was interrupted before anything serious happened. His Honor's advice to^che Grand Jury- was adverse In each case, the Judge remarking, "I can hardly understand the possibility of theia cases."

;iXbung Ditford was advised by Barrister Hunt to plead guiity, . and was remaifded till the following day Alexanr der Johnston testified m defence that he had frequently kissed ' .-»-*■ gien the Child pennies before and that -when he went into the staole for a certain v•■ pose "the giil followed Wm for a penny. He denied indeceacy. The jury didn't believe this yarn and found .Johnston guilty. He was remanded for sentence.