WITHERING COMMENT

NZ Truth, Issue 1253, 5 December 1929, Page 9

WITHERING COMMENT

Youthful Depravity Shocks Judge

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Wellington Rep.) Scathing indeed was the indictment launched by His Honor the Chief Justice against a certain type of young girl, from whom, he strongly urged, the youth of the I community should be protected. "T HAVE said .before, and I repeat, 1 that there are cases where it is the man and not the girl who should be. protected," said his Honor, when Reginald Eugene Seager came before him for sentence for a serious offence on a young girl. His Honor gave full rein to his feelings on the matter a few minutes later when remarking on the shocking nature of the evidence disclosed m the lower court m the case of James Webster Bittle, who appeared for sentence for assaulting two young girls. "Circumstances are disclosed to which I consider it the bounden duty of the court to draw public attention m somewhat forcible terms," said the Chief Justice, referring to the case of Bittle. "The importance of the case from the public point of view is this: It discloses depths of depravity on -the part of young girls of eleven and twelve years of age which are as appalling as they are amazing. "This is the fourth case within the short space of less than a month m which there has been evidence before* this court of depravity of the gravest kind on the part of young girls.. "The point I want to come to is this: If such girls as these are left at large, they are, and will be, a menace, not only to themselves, but to the youth of the community, and they are simply inviting, unless something is done, the commission of crime' of the description the prisoner has committed. "My regret is that there is no power m this court on the disclosure of such cases as this to commit the girls, to a term of years for correction and discipline. "I make the suggestion that this court should be invested with such power, and I commend that suggestion to the proper authorities.',' Bittle was sentenced to a year's reformative detention, and Seager was piven six months' hai'd labor cumulative with a sentence he is riowserving. ■ -