Pair Of Perverts

NZ Truth, Issue 943, 22 December 1923, Page 7

Pair Of Perverts

SEXUAL SINNERB SENTENCED.

Lengthy Reformative Treatment Ordered.

A number of men with very long faces lined up for their wages on Mon* day last m Wellington, but ln this case the wages were the wages of sin. thus accounting for the elongation of their dials. Sir Robert Stout was paying out. Of two of the ever-present sexual offenders who were dealt with the flrst to appear was Samuel Groves, an un-intelligent-looking individual, the adolojfcent part of whose 38 years had been spent mostly m steering a plough through the tussocks of Dannevlrke's surrounding district. His excursion to the city on this occanlon was a result of hie having pleaded guilty to a charge of carnally knowing a girl of tender years. Lawyer Johnson, of Wellington, said he had been instructed to appear, and though he could say little m expiation of the offence, which was undeniably a bud one, he was able to produce references of accused's previous good character and of his sober industry as a laborer.

"The man Is of dull Intellect," obHerved his Honor, "but he knew he was doing wrong, and even then attempted It a second time. What makes It far more serious is that ho Is an uncle of the girl. I cannot do otherwise than leave the matter to the Prisons' Board and they may modify tho sentence." Four years' reformative detention was the word sont across.

Then camo stepping into tho dock vountr Frederick Alfred Reeve, of Marton. a youth of only eighteen years, who had pleaded guilty to the tinnatural offence of Indecently assaulting a male. On the youth's behalf Lawyer Cleary told a sorry talc of lack of home training jmd parental control since tho boy had gone Into the world to shift for hlmsolf it thc age of 14 years, It was noteworthy that thc lad realist! tbe degradation of the act. the commiwiion of which was tn his mind, and it was that which saved him from beln»; In thc dock to answer a much more serlo'l* ch«r«r«.'. A plea for probation hl« Honor dismissed by nbucrvinjt »bnt th** often?* was committed on n mt)*> child, four years of ago. If It hnd been on n grown -tin he might hnve considered probation, but even then thnt course -would h*»v.» h«««»n moi>t untie-ml, K-it m tV»t*« <»a»»«» hf -would bay«» to Inftlct «. i^ntenc* or three year**' reformative detention.