ALLEGED INCEST

NZ Truth, Issue 834, 12 November 1921, Page 2

ALLEGED INCEST

(Prom "Truth's" punedin Rep.V Alexander Ranger, alias Aitcheson. pleaded not guilty at the . Supi'eme Court Last week to a charge of incest. Lawyer Ongley, Oainaru, represented accusedFrom the narrative of the- ease it appeared that the offence was alleged to havo been committed by the accused with hjs half-sister, at' the time the parties were living ■ with the grandmother at Herbert m 1919. Accused had been born illegitimately beforo his mother's marriage. When the child- was born accused admitted to the girl'fl brother that Vjo was the father. The girl and accused had the same mother. The girl said she had not known of the relationship. Lawyer Ongley said it was not disputed that acused wasp- the father of the girl'a child. \'y>:;- : '^ : { After hearing 'tlj'e,. evidence for the prosecution, Judgfe :<3hapman said that the Crown hail sljoVtv no knowledge either on the part"'p'<l:'''the girl or the accused. The ; .ijie^isiature had declared that incest^Jjyas a crime, and it was a crime wTißthGr it toolc place with a sister or k ;; "fialt- sister, and, as a matter of law Jt wai? equally a crime if committed by --an' illegitimate son with a legitimate sister or vice versa. But 1 it must be a conscious crime. The proof that the accused knew he was misbehaving with his sister seemed to his Honor to be very weakAfter a few minutes' retirement the jury returned with a verdict of not guilty..